Brazilian Formula 1 rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has disclosed he suffered an injury to his left leg after experiencing a colossal 57G impact during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend.
The Incident: A Home Race to Forget
The 21-year-old driver, competing at his home event for the first time, saw his sprint race end abruptly after a daring overtaking manoeuvre went wrong. Bortoleto attempted to pass Alex Albon but spun, making heavy contact with the inside wall before ricocheting across the track into the outside barrier at turn one.
The force of the impact was later recorded at a staggering 57G, completely destroying his Sauber chassis. The damage was so extensive that the team could not repair the car in time for the qualifying session later that day.
Recovery and Reflection
Bortoleto's difficult weekend continued into the main grand prix, where he retired on the opening lap after a collision with Lance Stroll. In the aftermath of his home debut, the young driver revealed he had been nursing pain in his left leg.
"I was very lucky," Bortoleto stated. "I had a bit of pain in my left leg but it went away one or two days after the crash, so that was great."
He provided a technical explanation for the accident, noting: "When I hit the brakes, the DRS was still in the closing procedure. It was not fully closed, I had big rear locking because of that. I hit a bump when I hit the brakes, so I spun to the inside wall."
Lessons Learned and Team Reaction
The rookie acknowledged the experience as a learning opportunity, adding: "Lots of learnings and what to do if I need to divebomb down the inside at Turn One in Sao Paulo next year."
Alex Albon, who narrowly avoided the spinning Sauber, expressed immediate concern for his fellow driver. "I just hope he's OK," Albon said. "These walls around Sao Paulo, especially around turn one... I had one in qualifying last year, it hurts. I feel for him and hope he's OK."
Despite the challenging weekend, Bortoleto has shown promising form in his debut season, accumulating 19 points so far. His contract with Sauber, which will transform into the Audi works team next year, runs until the conclusion of the 2026 season.
