Clattering into Lance Stroll on lap 1 in Las Vegas, just one race after the Aston Martin driver hit him in Brazil, Gabriel Bortoleto has been given a five-place grid penalty for the Qatar Grand Prix.
He also has two penalty points on his Super Licence.
FIA announces double penalty after Las Vegas Lap 1 chaos
Stroll and Bortoleto were quick to clear the air when they clashed at the Brazilian’s home grand prix when Stroll squeezed the Sauber driver, leading to minor wheel-to-wheel contact last time out.
It was enough to push Bortoleto onto the grass on the outside of Turn 9 where he lost control and spun into the wall.
“Stroll pushed me out, he just turned as if I wasn’t there,” Bortoleto complained to Sauber at the time.
The Brazilian later labelled it a “racing incident. He didn’t do it on purpose, I’m sure. Every time I fight with him, he’s fair with me.”
But while the stewards took no action on that Sunday afternoon, they did have something to say when Bortoleto hit Stroll in Las Vegas.
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Racing under the lights, a chaotic lap 1 that saw several incidents, with Bortoleto flying up the inside at Turn 1 as he tried to make positions having started P18.
But, he was a little too hot, and a little too late on the brakes.
Colliding with Stroll, who immediately retired, Bortoleto initially attempted to carry on before having to park his car on lap 2.
In reviewing the incident, the stewards ruled that the Brazilian driver was to blame for the collision and subsequently dished out a two-part penalty.
“The driver of Car 5 braked extremely late and as a result collided with Car 18,” read the ruling.
“Even though this was a Lap 1 Turn 1 incident, mitigating circumstances do not exist and hence the standard 10-second penalty would have applied.
“However as Car 5 retired, the penalty is converted into a grid penalty for the next race in which the driver participates, in accordance with our guidelines.”
In addition to his five-place grid drop for Qatar, Bortoleto also received two penalty points on his super licence.
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