Gabriel Bortleto was involved in an accident in his F1 debut at Interlagos. While in the car, he criticized Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Afterwards, he abandoned the race at home and said he experienced “the worst day of my life.”
“Strol pushed me (off the track) and he just turned around as if I wasn’t there,” Bortleto said. The Brazilian then got into the group’s car and left the track.
The Sauber driver collided with the rear wheel and duckbill of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll’s car and crashed into the wall protection just before the climb onto the main straight.
“It’s difficult because it’s at home, in front of the country, in front of my family. To be honest, it’s definitely the worst day of my life. We always want to represent our country, but it’s part of the learning process. I’ll keep trying and, God willing, I’ll be better next time,” he said.
Bortleto then tried to soften it. “I’m not going to come here and point a finger at him or myself or anything else. I passed Colapinto and was lined up with Stroll, but he was on a hard compound and had poor traction,” he explained.
This was Bortleto’s second accident this weekend. On Saturday (8th) he lost control and crashed hard at the end of the main straight on the final lap of the sprint.
Although the accident survived, the car was badly damaged. Sauber was unable to carry out the necessary repairs for the Brazilian to take part in the qualifying session. Therefore, starting from the pits was an option.
Lando Norris won this Sunday’s (9th) Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The McLaren driver further extended his advantage at the top of the championship. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium in second and third place respectively.
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