Bortoleto hit with five-place grid penalty for Qatar after Vegas crash
For the second race in a row, Gabriel Bortoleto’s aggressive first-lap move ended in contact with Lance Stroll.
The Brazilian rookie dove down the inside of multiple cars heading into Turn 1 at Las Vegas, misjudging his braking point before colliding with Stroll’s Aston Martin.
It didn’t end well for Bortoleto. His Sauber suffered race-ending damage, forcing him to retire on just the second lap.
Since he couldn’t serve the standard 10-second time penalty during the race, stewards converted it to a five-place grid drop for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
The stewards weren’t buying any excuses either.
“The driver of Car 5 braked extremely late and as a result collided with Car 18,” they explained in their verdict. “Even though this was a Lap 1 Turn 1 incident, mitigating circumstances do not exist.”
This marks Bortoleto’s first penalty points in F1, with stewards handing him two points on his license for the crash.
## Making amends
After the race, the rookie made a classy move by visiting Stroll personally to apologize for the incident, according to Aston Martin’s social media.
What makes this situation particularly frustrating for both drivers is the repeat nature of their collisions. Just one race earlier, they had come together in similar fashion.
For Bortoleto, who’s fighting to prove himself worthy of a full-time seat next season, these rookie mistakes could prove costly in the eyes of team principals.
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