BREAKING:Bortoleto unhappy with ‘risk’ Antonelli took that resulted in crash after… read more
During the latest race in Monaco, Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto was left frustrated and disappointed following a first-lap incident with fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli that severely compromised his race. The clash occurred after Bortoleto made an impressive move to overtake Antonelli at the famous hairpin corner, claiming 15th position with a confident move around the outside. However, his success was short-lived.
Only a corner later, as the pair approached Portier leading into the tunnel, Antonelli made an aggressive attempt to regain the lost position. Bortoleto, trying to maintain his line, was forced into a wider trajectory. Antonelli dove down the inside, which led to Bortoleto running out of space and ultimately making contact with the barrier. Although Antonelli did not physically touch Bortoleto’s car, the Mercedes driver’s maneuver caused Bortoleto to take evasive action that resulted in damage to his front wing.
The incident forced Bortoleto to reverse back onto the track, losing considerable time before he could limp to the pits for repairs. Despite the early setback, he rejoined the race and managed to work his way through the field to finish in 14th place after making three pit stops. However, the result was of little consolation to the Brazilian, who made his displeasure known in his post-race comments.
Reflecting on the events, Bortoleto described his initial overtake as a solid and well-executed move, stating that it was particularly satisfying given Monaco’s reputation as a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. “I think I managed to make a very solid move in Turn 6 in the hairpin,” he said. “It was very nice around the outside and I gained a position.” Yet he suggested that Antonelli was unwilling to accept being passed and reacted out of frustration or embarrassment.
“Obviously, he doesn’t want to see any car ahead of him,” Bortoleto continued. “Losing a position in Monaco is quite embarrassing… it’s bad because normally, historically, you don’t lose position but you don’t gain as well.”
He further criticized Antonelli’s move at Portier, describing it as overly ambitious. “I think he tried a very optimistic move there. We’ve seen a lot of crashes in that spot in the past. He didn’t touch me, but he just went straight, and to avoid crashing into him, I ended up hitting the wall.”
Bortoleto hasn’t decided whether to escalate the matter, either by addressing it with Antonelli directly or bringing it up during a future drivers’ briefing. “For sure he didn’t want to put me in the wall,” he conceded. “He ended up doing it, in my opinion. At some point I will talk to him, but I don’t know… I need to think about it.”
The incident underscores the intense pressure and competitive spirit that characterizes Monaco, especially for rookies like Bortoleto and Antonelli striving to prove themselves on one of Formula 2’s most unforgiving tracks.
