Bortoleto Will Serve Qatar Grid Penalty for Las Vegas Collision with Stroll

Short Excerpt: Gabriel Bortoleto has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the Qatar Grand Prix and two penalty points on his license after causing a Lap 1 collision with Lance Stroll at Las Vegas.

Gabriel Bortoleto will start the Qatar Grand Prix with a five-place grid penalty and two penalty points on his FIA superlicense after being found « fully to blame » for the Lap 1 crash with Lance Stroll in Las Vegas. The incident—Bortoleto’s third crash in as many races—occurred when the Sauber driver locked up and hit Stroll during a late-braking attempt in Turn 1, triggering a chain reaction involving Pierre Gasly as well.

The Incident: Ambitious Dive Ends in Disaster

Starting 18th, Bortoleto looked to make up positions at the start by launching down the inside in Turn 1. However, he misjudged the grip and braked several meters too late, skipping past the apex and slamming into the back of Stroll’s Aston Martin. The impact destroyed Stroll’s rear wing and sent him spinning into Gasly’s Alpine. Both Bortoleto and Stroll were forced to retire from the race with terminal damage.

« It was my fault. I think I just misjudged the grip I had and where I was on track, » admitted Bortoleto afterwards. « I put the car on the left-hand side of the Williams, and when I arrived I braked five meters too late… I had no angle to do the corner, I was completely on the inside, and just misjudged it. It was my fault. »

Stroll described it as a racing incident: « It happens. It’s racing. Sometimes these things happen and it is what it is. »

Stewards: No Mitigating Circumstances

The FIA stewards reviewed the incident post-race and concluded that, while Lap 1 Turn 1 chaos can sometimes offer mitigating circumstances, this was « an extreme case with none present. » The standard penalty for such an infraction—a 10-second time penalty—could not be served, as Bortoleto had already retired. As a result, per the regulations, the penalty was converted to a five-place grid drop for the next race in which he participates: the Qatar Grand Prix. He was also awarded two penalty points, bringing his total to two for the current period.

A Recurring Trend

This incident marks the third consecutive race in which Bortoleto has retired due to a crash. The Las Vegas collision, which brought out an early caution and eliminated two cars on the spot, highlighted both the rookie’s ambition and the fine margins at play on opening laps in Formula 1.

Conclusion

While Stroll downplayed the incident as a racing matter, the FIA took a stricter view, underlining that such errors—even on chaotic opening laps—demand clear accountability. Bortoleto, who immediately accepted blame, will be looking to reset for Qatar, where his penalty will set him back on the grid—just as he’s trying to rebuild confidence. For the rest of the paddock, the stewards’ message is clear: early-lap ambition must be matched with responsibility, or drivers will face grid drops and penalty points under the current F1 penalty regime.