6 days Ago By Daniel Moxon,Harry Brent
Formula 1 newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto had a heart-stopping moment during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend when he nearly lost control of his car at full throttle. The incident unfolded during the final practice session at Suzuka while the young Brazilian was pushing hard on a flying lap. Broadcast footage captured the Sauber rookie accelerating at maximum speed as he approached the notorious 130R bend.
However, he misjudged his line and allowed his front-right tyre to clip the grass, resulting in a sudden loss of grip that almost caused a high-speed spin. Initially, Bortoleto seemed unaware that he had drifted off the racing line. While speaking to his engineer over team radio about what he believed was a mechanical issue, he suddenly screamed in panic as the rear of the car violently twitched.
Reacting quickly, Bortoleto managed to regain control and prevent a crash while still traveling at serious speed. At the same time, he shouted over the radio: "Mate, something..
. ARGH!" His engineer promptly responded: "You okay, mate? Are you okay?" To which Bortoleto replied: "I saved it, something broke in the tyre. Oh my f***ing god.
F*** me, it broke in 130R, my god." By keeping the car on track, Bortoleto spared his crew from any emergency repairs just ahead of the qualifying session. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to capitalise on it and was knocked out in Q1, along with his more seasoned team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg .
He ended up 17th on the timing sheets. Still, the two Saubers outpaced Esteban Ocon , Jack Doohan, and Lance Stroll , while Liam Lawson only just edged ahead of Hulkenberg to eliminate the German driver. Although he exited qualifying earlier than hoped, Bortoleto remained optimistic afterward.
The reigning Formula 2 champion said: "I missed Q2 by just one tenth today, and all my laps felt good, without any mistakes. "I ended up quite close to my team-mate, which is encouraging considering how fast and experienced he is. Now, we can compare the data and understand where we can improve as a team.
"We could have possibly done a small step further to improve the car for the last set of tyres, but we decided to stay safe and not do any major changes. In all fairness, I am happy with my laps, and fine with what we brought home today - I think that's the position we could aim for. Overall, I am happy with the work the team has done all weekend so far, and I'm ready for the race tomorrow.
" Newly appointed team boss Jonathan Wheatley, who began his role this weekend in Japan, added: "I want to thank the team, who worked tirelessly to fit the upgrades we brought to Suzuka. In my first qualifying session with the team, I can already feel the positive energy and momentum building.".
