What really caused Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto’s accident and how the Formula One newcomer is dealing with his sudden retirement from the Australian Grand Prix
An accident shortly before the end of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne cost Formula 1 newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto his first race. But what actually caused the Sauber driver to crash after 45 laps?
The TV images of the crash initially suggested that the wheel suspension on his C45 might have broken. James Key, as Technical Director of Sauber, however, denies this when asked: “There is no evidence that the suspension caused the problem.”
The suspension on the Bortoleto car probably gave way as a result of the departure, says Key. “When you roll backwards and then brake, the suspension is stressed in the opposite direction to the intended load. So that could be a cause of the defect, but we are still checking. So far, it looks more like a consequence.”
And the accident itself also has consequences: Bortoleto will need a new front wing for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai this weekend. “The rest of the car is fine,” says Key. “Hopefully we can also repair the damaged wing. I just don’t think it will be ready to use again in a week.”
Bortoleto, on the other hand, is eager for his next outing in the Sauber C45. He is “not proud of making mistakes, of course, but I’m not too down about it either. I’d rather focus on the tasks ahead and do my best instead of just driving around and coming in last.”
What James Key likes about Gabriel Bortoleto
With this attitude, Bortoleto has already made many friends in the team. Technical Director Key, for example, is “impressed” by the Brazilian newcomer and says: “His pace in the race was really strong at times. His commitment on the radio, his will to get information and understand his situation – that was very impressive.”
Key is also “really very impressed” by Bortoleto because he always kept an overview in the Grand Prix. “He wanted to know so much and also had to deal with brake problems. But he handled it incredibly well and still managed to achieve some really good lap times despite having to constantly readjust his tires and brakes.”
Despite the DNF, Bortoleto can “end the weekend in Australia with a good feeling,” says Key. “He drove a pretty clean race overall and held his own for a long time, so it was pretty good.”
Other drivers made mistakes too
What’s more, other Formula 1 newcomers made mistakes, and even experienced drivers were not without fault. Williams driver Carlos Sainz, for example, crashed on lap one. “I saw Ferraris sliding, I saw McLarens sliding – everyone,” says Bortoleto.
“Unfortunately, I also ended up in the wall. But when you spin, anything can happen. If I had had an extra meter of space, I might have done a 360-degree spin and gone back into the race. It could have ended well, but that was not the case.”
How Bortoleto rates his own performance
Nevertheless, Bortoleto rates his appearance as a “good start” to his Formula 1 career – “with all the things we have learned. Unfortunately, it didn’t end as well as we hoped, but luckily Nico [Hülkenberg] scored some points for the team. I’m happy for the whole team,“ says Bortoleto.
”And now I’m looking forward to China. We’re taking some positive things away from this first weekend, and we’re just at the beginning of a long racing season.”
Bortoleto emphasizes that his “good pace” in the Grand Prix is encouraging, but he is not expecting a walk in the park in Shanghai: “It’s a sprint weekend, so you don’t have much time to get to know the track. I have to adapt as quickly as possible, avoid mistakes that could cost me time in qualifying or the sprint race, and use every session to gain valuable kilometers.”
