Gabriel Bortoleto Handed Five-Place Grid Penalty for 'Extreme' F1 Mistake in Las Vegas

Gabriel Bortoleto has been hit with a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix following a severe misjudgment during the Las Vegas race. Stewards deemed his aggressive maneuver at the start an "extreme" mistake, leading to a collision that forced Lance Stroll's immediate retirement.

Why it matters:

Bortoleto's penalty highlights the FIA's strict stance on aggressive driving, even in chaotic opening lap scenarios. For a reigning F2 champion, this incident underscores the steep learning curve and immense pressure young drivers face as they transition into Formula 1, where every mistake carries significant consequences.

The details:

• Incident: Bortoleto, starting 18th in Las Vegas, attempted to gain positions by taking the inside line at the start. However, he misjudged his braking point significantly.
• Collision: This led to him ramming directly into the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, destroying Stroll's rear wing and forcing his immediate retirement from the race.
• Bortoleto's Race: Bortoleto continued for a short period before also retiring from the Grand Prix.
• Stewards' Verdict: After investigating the collision, the stewards initially issued a 10-second time penalty. Since Bortoleto had retired, this was converted into a five-place grid drop for the next Grand Prix he participates in, which is Qatar.
  • The penalty will be served during the Qatar Grand Prix itself, not during the Sprint race.
• Penalty Points: In addition to the grid drop, Bortoleto received two penalty points, bringing his total to two for the 12-month period.
• Stewards' Reasoning: The official verdict stated, "The driver of Car 5 braked extremely late and, as a result, collided with Car 18. Even though this was a Lap 1 Turn 1 incident, mitigating circumstances do not exist, and hence the standard 10-second penalty would have applied; however, as Car 5 retired, the penalty is converted into a grid penalty for the next Race in which the driver participates, in accordance with our guidelines."
• Other Penalties: Separately, Alex Albon also received one penalty point (bringing his total to five for the period) for a collision with Lewis Hamilton in the same race.

What's next:

Bortoleto will now face the challenge of recovering from a five-place grid penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix, making his race weekend significantly tougher. This incident serves as a stark reminder for all drivers about the importance of precision and judgment, particularly in the high-stakes environment of an F1 race start, and how the FIA enforces its regulations on driver conduct.