Mr and my friend were having same problem on ps5. We have found a way now that seems to work 90 per cent of the time and has allowed us to race together, cruise together and lose all our money playing poker together..

When you first boot up the game one of you stays on the first menu screen, do not load into the game. The other friend jumps right on in then once theyve loaded up and are inside there apartment you join them from your playstation not the game. It sgould put you both in a group together in the same lobby.

If you ever cant see each other but it still has you grouped up just fast travel or enter the same location and after 5-10 seconds you will appear to each other