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The factors that have blown Brazilian GP strategy game wide open

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Formula 1 teams have been left facing some difficult strategy choices for the Brazilian Grand Prix as a host of elements have come together to make things extremely complicated.

A combination of the new track surface, the timing of the sprint race, Pirelli’s selections for this weekend and uncertainty over the weather have created a perfect storm where the best route forward is not clear right now.

Of particular concern is the fact that teams cannot be sure which combination of tyres they need to keep back for Sunday’s grand prix, because the picture from the opening day of running has not offered a firm answer about degradation and wear levels.

The newly-resurfaced Interlagos circuit seems to offer some decent grip levels, but degradation levels were far from clear because of the huge fluctuations in track temperature caused by the new black asphalt.

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Opening practice took place with the track nudging the mid-50Cs, and that opened the door for the tyres to be punished quite a lot, especially when the appearance of graining also contributed to some excessive wear.

As Williams driver Alex Albon said: “It’s unbelievable degradation here. This track is made out of sandpaper, so it will make it interesting.”

However, things seem more settled down in the late afternoon when sprint qualifying took place, as track temperatures dropped into the 40Cs.

But teams will be aware that Saturday’s sprint takes place at 11am local time on Saturday, when track temps will likely be in the upper region.

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So, with Pirelli having selected the most aggressive of its tyre compounds for this weekend, and the soft being pretty much a single lap tyre so not suitable for the sprint duration, that will likely nudge teams to having to use a medium or hard on Saturday.

The difficulty with that though is that teams are very tight on the number of sets that they have left.

After sprint qualifying, all the top teams are in the same boat, in having two new hards available, then one new and two used mediums.

Driver

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Hard

Medium

Soft

New

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Used

New

Used

New

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Used

#1 Verstappen

2

0

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1

2

4

2

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#11 Pérez

2

0

1

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2

5

1

#63 Russell

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2

0

1

2

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4

2

#44 Hamilton

2

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0

1

2

6

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0

#16 Leclerc

2

0

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1

2

4

2

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#55 Sainz

2

0

1

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2

4

2

#81 Piastri

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2

0

1

2

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4

2

#4 Norris

2

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0

1

2

4

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2

#18 Stroll

1

1

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2

1

5

1

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#14 Alonso

1

1

2

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1

5

1

#31 Ocon

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2

0

2

1

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5

1

#10 Gasly

2

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0

1

2

4

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2

#23 Albon

2

0

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1

2

4

2

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#43 Colapinto

2

0

1

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2

5

1

#30 Lawson

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2

0

1

3

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4

1

#22 Tsunoda

2

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0

2

2

5

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0

#77 Bottas

2

0

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1

2

5

1

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#24 Zhou

2

0

2

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1

5

1

#50 Bearman

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2

0

1

2

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4

2

#27 Hulkenberg

2

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0

1

2

5

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1

So, with indications pointing towards Sunday’s grand prix being a two-stop race, teams are going to have to choose where the compromise comes from and where they likely run a used medium.

It is not clear yet whether track temperatures and degradation will mean the best strategy on Sunday is to run medium/hard/medium (which was last year’s strategy based on the current tyres being one step softer), or medium/hard/hard.

Both strategies are currently viable and there is only a few seconds of difference between them on paper, although a double medium choice could require more management.

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This means if teams burn through one of their new sets of tyres for the sprint, then they will have to run with used mediums in the race.

Pirelli tyres

Pirelli tyres

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Normally, a used set of tyres – the mediums will have done a few laps in a qualifying effort during SQ1 or SQ2 is not such a problem – but it could trigger some downside this time around because Brazil’s race could be a battle against tyre wear rather than keeping temperatures under control.

And the level of wear appears to be much higher than it is in the past because the new track surface is triggering some graining.

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Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra said: “We expected this with the new tarmac, with the new surface.

“It’s something that is quite usual, especially on the rear right, but it is also the front right inner half of the tread. And this graining level is affecting the acceleration of the wear in some regions.”

Berra reckoned there was no perfect way forward right now, as at some point teams on Saturday or Sunday were going to have to go with something that was not ideal.

“They have to make the correct choice,” he said. “We know that we were a little bit on the limit in terms of wear life, considering the new asphalt and the new compound selection.

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“So, I think it creates a little bit different strategies, because with the new tarmac, the C3 (the current hard) should work quite well, and should have better performance compared to last year, when it was the medium and some teams struggled with.

“The C4 (the current medium) last year was really good, and we’ve seen this year as well that the C4 is not too bad.

“So, teams have to decide if they prefer to keep the two sets of hard compound, but also to keep some good sets, so not much used, mediums just to switch from one strategy to the other.

“Then we know that on Sunday there is a chance of rain, and this can change also the compound selection for the race. You would rather prefer not to use the hard, for example, and use the medium [in the damp] because of the higher grip level in these kind of conditions.

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“Everything is very viable at the moment, and I think it’s making the racing interesting.”

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Piastri hands Norris Sprint victory, Verstappen third

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Lando Norris was waved through by team-mate Oscar Piastri to win Formula 1’s 2024 Brazil sprint race, with the second McLaren saved from a Max Verstappen attack by a late virtual safety car.

However, the Red Bull driver faces a post-race investigation for his actions as the VSC was ending on the final lap.

At the start, polesitter Piastri moved across to cut off Norris’s run to the inside at Turn 1, where the McLarens held their positions and Verstappen locked up unsuccessfully attacking Charles Leclerc’s third place.

The McLaren pair moved slightly clear in the early laps, before Leclerc – who was unmoved by an early look from Verstappen into Turn 4 at the end of the track’s second straight – and the world champion closed back up.

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Norris suggested he thought Piastri should have let him by in the opening quarter of the 24-lap contest, but the only order in the first half was for the leader to give his team-mate DRS after the second McLaren had fallen slightly away as the first 10 laps ended.

Leclerc perused the McLarens closely through the next phase before a moment at the Senna S on lap 13 meant he had to defend against Verstappen to Turn 4 and the McLarens finally snapped the DRS threat from behind.

But, just as McLaren was telling Norris it expected to swap positions late in the race, Leclerc’s pace dipping meant Verstappen was finally able to fight by at Turn 4 with DRS on the outside line on lap 18.

Verstappen quickly tore a chunk from Norris’s lead ahead, as he continued to lap regularly within a second of his team-mate.

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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

The McLaren pair in the pulled a two-second gap to Verstappen as lap 20 kicked off, before the Red Bull then closed in by a few tenths.

Then when Nico Hulkenberg pulled off at Turn 8 in his Haas, McLaren suddenly had to urgently swap the lead in fear of the VSC that eventually came.

On lap 22, Piastri obeyed the instruction to let Norris by, with Verstappen suddenly all over the now second McLaren and threatening massively in third.

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But just before the penultimate lap kicked off, the VSC was activated and the race neutralised.

There was to be one last moment of action when the VSC ended as Norris made it to Turn 4 on the final lap, with Verstappen pulling out from behind Piastri’s slipstream as if to attack with the neutralisation still active.

When it went green, Norris powered clear easily to win by 0.5s, while Verstappen did not get to make his move as by this stage he and Piastri and reached Turn 4.

Soon after the race ended, it was announced that Verstappen’s actions are being investigated for a possible infringement.

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Ferrari’s expected race pace advantage never materialised, as Leclerc dropped back towards team-mate Carlos Sainz by the end – the Spaniard having been dropped quickly in the early laps.

George Russell was the lead Mercedes in sixth, with Pierre Gasly an impressive seventh for Alpine, while Sergio Perez fought his way up from SQ2 exit to finish eighth and claim the final point.

Lewis Hamilton recovered a few spots from losing badly at the start, while in the other Haas Oliver Bearman also dropped back from running at the end of the top 10 early on.

Photos from Brazilian GP Sprint

 

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“I would not have won without first-corner lead” in Malaysian GP sprint

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Jorge Martin says the sprint race at Sepang on Saturday could have had an entirely different outcome had he not toughed it out with polesitter Francesco Bagnaia to take the lead midway through the first corner.

As it happened, factory Ducati rider Bagnaia fell out of second place on the third lap of the race, leaving Martin (Pramac Ducati) to stretch his points advantage from 17 to 29 with a straightforward victory.

The Italian’s fall highlighted the difficulty of trying to follow and overtake another rider in MotoGP – as did Martin after the race.

“If I hadn’t taken first position straight away today, I wouldn’t have won,” said Martin. “I think Pecco would have won and I would have been second. So to start well is really important.

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“Nowadays, either you are like Enea [Bastianini] who can come from behind, or it’s impossible to win if you’re not in first position at the beginning.”

Martin also showed some sympathy for Bagnaia having been caught out at the slow, left-hand Turn 9.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“It’s been a really critical corner all weekend,” he added. “You have like three different asphalts on the perfect line. And at one point, there’s no asphalt! So it’s like motocross; super difficult. You need to ride a really precise line at that corner.

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“I had a few moments there in my time attack yesterday and also today. And sometimes I had to [back off] there during the race too in order not to crash.”

Martin added that his sprint victory was not as easy as it looked after Bagnaia’s retirement.

“After Pecco’s crash, it was difficult to manage the situation,” said Martin. “But I was able to do it well. 

“You do have to think about the fact that Pecco has crashed. You think ‘be careful, you need to finish’. At one point I even thought I might have to [let Marc past] and finish second. 

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“But I had a lead of eight-tenths, so it made no sense to wait for him. So I said ‘okay, let’s keep doing the thing you know how to do’. 

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I was really focused on my braking references, just trying to do everything the same without changing anything.”

Martin’s successful Saturday means he could wrap up his maiden championship in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

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But he does not plan to take a particularly cautious approach or get bogged down in the permutations.

“When I try to relax, I get more nervous and everything gets more difficult,” he said when asked if he felt more breathing space with the extended points advantage.

“Today I was a bit nervous in the morning, so I said to Gino [Borsoi, his team manager], ‘Gino, I will go for it.’ I don’t want to finish second or third, I want to go for it. If Pecco is stronger, he will win. And if he’s not, he won’t’.

“Tomorrow will be a bit more of the same. If Pecco is much stronger, it’s okay. But I will do my best, because it’s the only way I can really be at 100% and focused.”

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Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

He noted that Bagnaia will be a dangerous competitor on Sunday given he has no choice but to win. 

“It’s a privilege to have this advantage at this point,” said Martin. “But it’s not over until it’s over.

“Tomorrow will be a really long race and Pecco will risk a lot to win. He has nothing to lose now – it’s all or nothing. To beat him under those conditions is really tough.”

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However, Martin also echoed Bagnaia’s suspicion that the championship leader is unlikely to finish lower than second – despite his chaser’s hopes that other riders can take points off the Spaniard.

“We are a step in front of the others, so I think in the worst case I will try to finish second,” said Martin.

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Aston drivers Alonso and Stroll to start Brazil F1 sprint from pitlane

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Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will start Brazil’s sprint race from the pitlane after making sweeping changes to their Aston Martin F1 cars.

Alonso and Stroll both struggled for speed in Friday’s sprint qualifying, only managing 16th and 19th respectively.

In response to the result and in a desire to further hone in on their car set-up for the remainder of the weekend, both Aston Martins have undergone changes under parme conditions, which means they have to start from the pitlane.

The FIA document specified that both the bodywork specification and the suspension set-up of Alonso’s and Stroll’s cars have been changed overnight.

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Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, who qualified last, has also had his suspension set-up changed and will line up behind the two Astons at pit exit.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Speaking after qualifying, Alonso had already suggested that he would treat the 24-lap sprint as a practice session, calling the race “useless” from his lowly grid position.

“The sprint for us really means nothing, as there are only eight cars scoring points,” the two-time world champion said. “And even if you are eighth or seventh, you score one point or two. So just the format doesn’t reward anything to be fast on Friday night and Saturday.

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“For us there’s much more focus on Sunday, so that’s the way we treat the sprint weekends. A little bit useless until Saturday afternoon. And it’s the case on this one as well.”

Alonso explained set-up experiments following Friday’s sole practice session had also been one of the reasons why the Aston Martin team’s qualifying session had been so low-key.

“We didn’t have the pace in qualifying,” he said. “We made some changes also after FP1 that we knew were maybe detrimental to the pace of the car. But we had to keep ourselves focused on Sunday more than Saturday, so for us, the sprint is more a free practice.”

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Vettel tips Verstappen to hold on against Norris in F1 title fight

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Sebastian Vettel has tipped Max Verstappen to beat Lando Norris to the Formula 1 title this year, despite his car not being the fastest.

Verstappen is facing tremendous pressure to hold on to his world championship advantage, with Red Bull having been out developed over the 2024 season by main rivals McLaren and Ferrari.

Although the Dutchman holds a 47-points advantage in the drivers’ standings ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint, he knows that Norris has been chipping away at him since the summer break – and he could lose a lot of ground at Interlagos if McLaren is as quick as it has looked so far.

But despite the relative pace of the Red Bull and the McLaren, former Red Bull driver Vettel thinks that Verstappen is the one that still holds the advantage right now.

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He thinks a combination of Verstappen’s driving confidence, plus Norris facing a renewed challenge from Ferrari, could be enough to prove decisive in how the drivers’ battle unfolds.

Speaking to Sky Germany, he said: “As much as I’d like us all to have a really exciting race right to the end, I think Max is now so hardened, so confident in his driving … we rarely see any mistakes from him, from his side.

“Even if his car is perhaps no longer quite as strong as it was at the start of the year, I still see him as the favourite. I think he’s still strong enough to always score enough points. And Lando is no longer in a position where he can win every race so easily.

“So, I would say that the role of favourite is clear – and lies with Max. But of course, as an independent spectator, I also hope that it will be even closer.”

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Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

The Norris/Verstappen battle has become more intense in recent races, with the pair having controversial clashes at both the United States and Mexico Grands Prix.

And while Verstappen’s willingness to take things to the edge in his battle with Norris have left some suggesting the British drivers needs to get his elbows out more, McLaren says it does not want its driver to change his approach.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, said: “I think Lando is coping with this situation of being in the fight for the championship in a way that we are enjoying, first of all, I would say. He’s now a very mature driver.

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“The race craft keeps improving all the time. The attitude, the learning from every situation, which we can appreciate almost on a race-by-race timescale. I think Lando is definitely now a mature driver to succeed in this kind of fight, which is a fight against one of the best drivers, I think, in the history of Formula 1.

“We just keep telling Lando all the time: keep doing what we are doing, let’s keep improving all the time, let’s become the best version of ourselves, race after race.”

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“Winning Malaysian GP will not be enough”

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Francesco Bagnaia has admitted he will need help from other riders to have any chance of winning the MotoGP world championship following his sprint crash on Saturday.

Falling out of the race on lap three while his title rival Jorge Martin went on to win meant Bagnaia’s points deficit grew from 17 to 29 points ahead of Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

This in turn puts Pramac Ducati rider Martin in a mathematical position to wrap up the title on Sunday, with one round still remaining.

The deficit is now such that Bagnaia concedes winning tomorrow’s race will not be enough if Martin simply follows him home second.

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Although he would still theoretically be alive in the championship heading to the finale in that scenario, the factory Ducati rider knows he now needs other riders to take points off the Spaniard to have a realistic chance at the last round.

“Giving my maximum and winning the race will not be enough,” said Bagnaia. “So we will need something more.”

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

While a zero-score for Martin would be the ideal scenario for the Italian, the next-best thing would be for the likes of Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and Enea Bastianini (factory Ducati) – who followed Martin home in the sprint – to take some points off the Spaniard on Sunday.

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“Tomorrow I really hope Marc and Enea will find something to be close to us. [But the worst] case for Jorge [if nothing changes] is that he finishes second because we don’t have any rivals.

“But I will go like always tomorrow, I will try to win.”

After the sprint, Bagnaia also explained that he had not taken any additional risks heading into the tricky Turn 9 on the lap he fell.

The left-hander has caught out a number of riders so far on the Sepang weekend.

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“As soon as I saw that Jorge started better, I waited and then I saw that the pace wasn’t that fast. So I thought, ‘okay, I will overtake, I will have a chance in the next laps’.

“On the first lap I was a bit too aggressive in that corner. I had a lot of movement from the front – and I didn’t crash.

“[Then] I said ‘okay, I will enter more calmly’. I was sure that the risk I was taking wasn’t over the limit. I was quite confident.

“I entered the corner a bit slower but I touched the bump at the apex and I lost the front.

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“I don’t know how many laps I’ve done this weekend and in the past, and I’ve touched the bump many, many times without crashing. There is always a first time. It wasn’t the [ideal] moment but honestly, it’s something that can happen.

“It’s not the first time it has happened this season that I’ve told myself I will brake a bit [earlier] not to take any risk and I’ve crashed.”

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McLaren says Bortoleto’s future remains up in air as Sauber talks advance

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McLaren insists no final decision has been made about Gabriel Bortoleto‘s Formula 1 future, amid growing indications that the Brazilian could be poised to secure a deal with Sauber.

Bortoleto, who is part of McLaren’s young driver programme, has impressed in F2 this season — and currently leads the championship with only the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds remaining.

His strong form, off the back of winning the 2023 F3 championship, has thrust him into contention for a seat at Sauber, which has been pondering whether to go with a youngster for the long-term or stick with an experienced driver like incumbent Valtteri Bottas.

Sources have indicated that Bortoleto is closing in on a deal, although it is unclear if this is for next season or for 2026 when the Sauber team will officially become Audi.

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For Bortoleto to be free to race for Sauber, he would need to be released from his McLaren young driver contract.

Speaking at the Brazilian Grand Prix, team principal Andrea Stella reiterated that his squad would have no hesitation in doing so.

It is understood, however, that such a release is dependent on Bortoleto having a firm race contract on the table, rather than it being for a reserve or test role.

Stella said: “Having the possibility to talk about Gabriel, I would like to take this opportunity to say once again how good a work he’s been doing in junior categories, winning F3, leading F2 at the first season.

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“This is to lead into the fact that I think it’s very, very normal and natural that Formula 1 teams are interested in having Gabriel as a driver.

“In terms of McLaren, McLaren will not stop the possibility for Gabriel to drive Formula 1. So conversations are ongoing and we will see what the scenario will be for the future.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing

Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

Bortoleto has earned some fans within the F1 paddock with his driving this year and three-time world champion Max Verstappen said earlier this weekend that if he was Sauber he would commit to him straightaway.

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“If I was Sauber, I would have signed him already,” said Verstappen. “I mean, especially if that’s anyway for the future and ‘26, with the big rule change.

“It’s always good to get used to a team already for a year, make your mistakes here and there, get integrated well, and understand the car a bit. You always feel much more prepared and comfortable when you then start in ‘26.”

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