Huge scare for Gabriel Bortoleto: in the final lap of the Sprint race in Brazil, the driver crashes violently into the wall. He is unharmed, but his Sauber is destroyed
The Interlagos Sprint race turns into a real scare for Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian driver, highly anticipated by the home crowd, ends Saturday’s mini-race against the barriers in a violent crash. Fortunately, he is unharmed, but his Sauber is completely destroyed, and the impact could also jeopardize his participation in qualifying.
Bortoleto crash: what happened
At the start of the final lap, Bortoleto is closing in on Albon, who is ahead in the Williams. Attempting to get closer for an overtaking move, the Brazilian goes off the dry racing line and ends up on a remaining puddle of water. The C45 quickly spins, the rear slips, and the car becomes uncontrollable at one of the fastest points of the track. The first impact is with the inside wall, then the Sauber crosses the track completely, narrowly avoiding contact with Albon, and ends its run against the outer barriers, nearly flipping over. At the end of the crash, Bortoleto’s car is almost completely destroyed.
VIDEO – BORTOLETO’S TERRIFYING CRASH
Despite the severity of the crash, Bortoleto is fine. The team reassures everyone on social media:” We are pleased to confirm that Gabriel Bortoleto is fine and has not sustained any injuries. The team would like to thank the track marshals, F1, the FIA, and the Medical Centre staff for the excellent care provided. We will now focus on preparing the cars for this afternoon’s qualifying session “.
Uncertainty remains over whether Bortoleto will be able to take to the track this afternoon: the car has suffered extensive damage, and the team will have to perform an extraordinary effort to get the C45 back into racing condition.
Photo: Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
