Bortoleto handed grid drop for Qatar, takes blame for Vegas blunder

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Gabriel Bortoleto has been handed a five-place grid penalty for triggering the multi-car collision that wiped out both himself and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll at the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix — an incident the Sauber rookie immediately accepted full responsibility for.

The Brazilian arrived at Turn 1 with momentum after a strong launch from the grid, but his attempt to make up early positions unravelled instantly.

Diving down the inside, Bortoleto misjudged his braking point, slammed into Stroll and sent the Aston Martin into Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. Both Bortoleto and Stroll immediately retired.

No Mitigating Circumstances

After reviewing the footage, the FIA stewards were unequivocal in their assessment.

“The driver of Car 5 braked extremely late and as a result collided with Car 18,” the stewards ruled.

“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.”

With the usual in-race time penalty impossible due to Bortoleto’s retirement, the sanction becomes a five-place grid drop at next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, along with two penalty points added to his superlicence – the first of his Formula 1 career.

Bortoleto’s Me Culpa

Facing the media after the race, Bortoleto did not attempt to soften the error, offering a clear and immediate apology for the chaos he caused.

“It was my fault,” he told the official channel. “I think I just misjudged a bit the grip I had and where I was on track.

“I had a very good launch and then I went for the move in the inside of the Williams and when I put the car on the left hand side of the wheel, and it was already time to brake. I braked like five metres too late and then just arrived a bit too long in the corner.

©Sauber

“I had no angle to do the corner because I was completely on the inside. I just misjudged it, it was my fault.”

It was a painful lesson for a rookie nearing the end of his debut season, and it leaves Bortoleto facing a compromised starting position in Qatar – the penultimate round of the 2025 campaign – as he aims to rebound from his most costly mistake yet.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.