Bortoleto’s Chaotic Build-Up to Canadian Grand Prix: Recovery and Promising Performance
Gabriel Bortoleto’s preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix were marred by a robbery in Zurich, where his backpack—containing his passport, laptop, and essential racing equipment—was stolen from his car. Despite this alarming incident, Swiss authorities successfully apprehended the thieves and recovered many of Bortoleto’s belongings.
“I was robbed. I just had dinner in Switzerland one night, and someone opened my car and took my backpack. All my racing materials were there too. It was chaos,” Bortoleto recounted in an interview with Brazil’s TV Bandsports. Fortunately, he utilized a second passport to make it to Canada, stating, “Everything was well at the end,” regarding the retrieval of his documents.
Upon arriving in Montreal, Bortoleto capitalized on his challenging start, demonstrating competitive form in practice sessions. He finished ahead of teammate Nico Hülkenberg in both FP1 and FP2, showcasing his ability to adapt quickly to the circuit despite it being his first appearance at the venue.
“It was a very positive start for our weekend,” Bortoleto noted. “Being my first time on this track, I was focused on understanding how Montreal works, and I’m satisfied with the solid session we had.”
Focused on fine-tuning his car for the race, Bortoleto added, “We’ll dive deeper into some specific areas we’ve identified. It’s tricky to predict where everyone is going to be; the field is extremely tight.” He emphasized the importance of clean laps in qualifying, stating, “Whoever manages to find the best position on track and secure a clean lap will have an advantage.”
As Bortoleto prepares for qualifying, his promising practice results and resilience in the face of adversity position him as a driver to watch in the upcoming race.
