Gabriel Bortoleto experienced a harrowing crash during the sprint race at Interlagos, registering an astounding 57G impact as he lost control of his Sauber car. The incident unfolded right in front of packed grandstands, leading to audible gasps from the spectators, many of whom captured the chaos on video.
Despite the terrifying nature of the crash, Bortoleto emerged unscathed. Unfortunately for him, his team was unable to prepare a new chassis in time for his qualifying run, which means he will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
The accident occurred as Bortoleto attempted to overtake Alexander Albon on the final lap. Losing control, he collided with a wall at the first corner of the Senna ‘S’, briefly went airborne, and then struck a barrier on the opposite side of the circuit. His race engineer, Jose Manuel Lopez, repeatedly checked on Bortoleto’s well-being, to which Bortoleto confirmed, “Yep, I’m okay.”
Nico Hulkenberg, who was trailing closely behind Bortoleto at the time, was visibly shaken by the incident. “Oh fuck, big one Gabi there, fuck,” he exclaimed, later reassured by his race engineer that Bortoleto was safe. Isack Hadjar, who was directly behind Bortoleto, also expressed concern after his car was struck by debris, but received confirmation from his engineer that Bortoleto was unharmed.
Fernando Alonso, Bortoleto’s manager and competitor in the race, was ahead of the crash site when it happened. His engineer informed him about the situation, to which Alonso commented on the severity of the impact after viewing the aftermath on the circuit screens.
Earlier in the race, the excitement had already escalated with multiple incidents at the same corner, involving Oscar Piastri, Hulkenberg, and Franco Colapinto, each crashing on the same lap. Additionally, Oliver Bearman was involved in a collision with Liam Lawson at Descida do Lago, which led to penalties for both drivers.
Bortoleto’s ability to walk away from such a high-impact crash is a testament to the safety advancements in motorsport. As the Brazilian Grand Prix approaches, fans and competitors alike will be hoping for a safer race moving forward.