Bortoleto Admits Fault in Las Vegas Collision with Stroll
Gabriel Bortoleto has admitted full responsibility for the Las Vegas Grand Prix collision that took out both his and Lance Stroll's cars in the opening laps. The F1 rookie misjudged his braking point, leading to the incident and an apology to Stroll. Bortoleto received a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Qatar, adding to a challenging start to his F1 career, which included a similar run-in with Stroll at the previous race.
Gabriel Bortoleto has taken full responsibility for the collision that ended both his and Lance Stroll’s races in the opening laps of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The rookie driver admitted he misjudged his braking point, leading to the costly incident and expressing his apologies to the Aston Martin driver.
Why it matters:
This incident marks another setback for Bortoleto, who also had a run-in with Stroll at the previous Brazilian Grand Prix. For Stroll, it's a frustrating early exit, compounding what has been a challenging season. For Stake F1, it means their rookie driver continues to accumulate penalties and experience. It also highlights the intense pressure and fine margins drivers operate under, especially on a new, high-stakes circuit like Las Vegas.
The Details:
- Braking Misjudgment: Bortoleto stated, “I misjudged the braking point a little bit, by about five metres. If I had braked a bit earlier, I would probably have stopped the car.” He accepted full blame for the incident.
- Apology to Stroll: The Brazilian driver publicly apologized to Lance Stroll, acknowledging his fault in the early termination of both their races.
- Early Race Exit: The collision occurred during the opening lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, bringing a premature end to both drivers' participation.
- Stewards' Penalty: Following the incident, race stewards handed Bortoleto a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, along with two penalty points on his license.
- Previous Incident: This is not the first time Bortoleto and Stroll have been involved in a collision this season, having also made contact at the Brazil Grand Prix.
- Qualifying Position: Bortoleto had qualified in 18th position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix before the opening lap incident.
What's next:
Bortoleto will now carry a five-place grid penalty into the Qatar Grand Prix, making his next race even more challenging. Both drivers will be looking to move past this incident as the F1 grid heads to Lusail. For Bortoleto, the focus will be on learning from these mistakes and delivering a clean race to avoid further penalties and build confidence as a rookie in Formula 1.