Gabriel Bortoleto has been cleared to race for the remainder of the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend after his horrific accident on the last lap of the Sprint Race.
As the cars started their final lap of Interlagos, Bortoleto was locked in a battle with Alex Albon for 10th in front of his home crowd, with time running out to make a move.
Braking for Turn 1, his Sauber suddenly veered towards the pit wall, careering across the track where it narrowly avoided hitting Albon’s Williams.
The Sauber then launched into the air, hit the barriers at Turn 1, before coming to rest on the run off at Turn 2, the car now in pieces and smoking from the multiple impacts.
The Brazilian required medical checks from the FIA after the crash that broke his steering column, but he has been cleared to participate in qualifying.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, Bortoleto’s ex-boss, shared his relief at the news that his former protege had been cleared.
“Well, first of all, very tricky conditions”, he said to Sky F1 when asked about the crash.
“You’re reassuring me that Gabriel is okay because I couldn’t see properly, but that’s very good news, very important.
“Gabriel has been a McLaren Academy driver, so we are very close to him, good to see.
The ferocity of the impact and damage to the car left Sauber with the near impossible task of a complete car rebuild in the three hours before qualifying for Sunday’s race.
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