F1 Las Vegas GP Catastrophe: Gabriel Bortoleto Faces Five-Place Grid Penalty Following Stroll Collision!
In a shocking twist at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto finds himself in hot water after a disastrous opening lap collision with Lance Stroll, resulting in a stern five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Qatar race. The Brazilian, who had high hopes of redeeming himself after a tumultuous home race in Brazil, encountered yet another misfortune on the vibrant Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Starting from the 18th position, Bortoleto was eager to claw his way up the leaderboard. However, as the lights went out, the 21-year-old’s ambitions quickly spiraled into chaos. In a desperate attempt to overtake, he miscalculated his braking point, crashing headlong into Stroll’s Aston Martin at Turn 1. The impact was severe, leading to significant damage to the Canadian’s AMR25, while Bortoleto’s race ended just one lap later, as he was deemed responsible for the incident.
The FIA stewards were quick to react, issuing Bortoleto a 10-second time penalty for his reckless maneuvering. But with the rookie unable to complete the race, the penalty escalated to a five-place grid drop for his next outing in Qatar, alongside two penalty points added to his FIA superlicense. The fallout from this incident is poised to haunt him as he navigates the pressures of F1 racing.
In a candid admission to the media, Bortoleto expressed his remorse, stating, “It was my fault. I think I just misjudged the grip that I had and where I was on track.” He recalled the moment of the crash vividly: “I had a very good launch and went for a move on the inside of the Williams, and when I put the car on the left-hand side of the Williams, it was already time to brake and I braked like five meters too late, then just arrived a bit too long in the corner. I had no angle to do the corner because I was completely on the inside, and just misjudged it. It was my fault.”
Meanwhile, Lance Stroll displayed remarkable composure in the aftermath, brushing off the incident as a mere racing mishap. “It happens. It’s racing. Sometimes these things happen and it is what it is,” he remarked, refusing to lay the blame solely at Bortoleto’s feet.
As the drama unfolds, fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see how Bortoleto rebounds from this incident. This latest crash raises questions about the pressures young drivers face in the high-octane world of Formula 1, where every mistake can lead to catastrophic consequences. With Qatar looming, the rookie must now focus on redemption and proving that he can handle the fierce competition of the F1 circuit. Will he rise to the challenge or succumb to the mounting pressures? Only time will tell as the engines roar back to life.








