Sauber’s rising star, Bortoleto, who has already made waves by clinching the F2 and F3 titles in consecutive years, had a promising yet challenging entry into his first F1 race. Unfortunately, much like several others, he fell victim to a sudden downpour that Sunday.
At just 20 years old, the Brazilian racer managed to outpace his seasoned teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, during qualifying. However, things took a turn when a late-race crash forced him to retire prematurely.
Among the novices, 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli stood out. Filling in for the legendary Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Antonelli made a dramatic push from 16th place to clinch the fourth spot. His race wasn’t without hiccups—he spun out at one point and faced a five-second penalty for a pit lane mishap, but that decision was later reversed.
The young Italian, now the third-youngest driver in F1 history, expressed immense joy over his performance, showering praise on his team for their strong support and guidance throughout the competition.
While it was a rough ride for many rookies, they can find solace in the fact that the tricky conditions didn’t spare their more experienced counterparts either. Carlos Sainz, last year’s victor now racing for Williams, crashed on the very first lap yet remained instrumental in crafting a race strategy that helped his teammate, Alex Albon, achieve a fifth-place finish.
Even the racing veteran, Fernando Alonso, with an unmatched wealth of experience at 43, couldn’t sidestep the challenges. His mishap in the Aston Martin brought out the second of three safety cars.
As the F1 circuit heads to China next weekend, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon—the weather forecast promises sunshine and dry conditions throughout the event, a welcome relief for the drivers eager for a smoother race.
