Gabriel Bortoleto qualified last for his home F1 São Paulo GP after a mistake in the rain, while fellow Brazilian Rafael Camara crashed in Q2 on his debut.
After a delay in starting the F1 São Paulo GP qualifying, conditions were still not good at Interlagos, with rain continuously falling. Once it got going, the session ran without a major incident to cause a red flag.
Advertisement
One of the many yellow flags was for Audi’s Bortoleto. He went off at Turn 12 in Q1 and hit the barrier, but he made it back across the grass and into the pits for his mechanics to check the car.
Bortoleto Admits He Messed Up
There wasn’t enough time to change the damaged rear wing, and that cost him. “Yeah, I locked up, and I went straight,” Bortoleto told the media. “I hit the wall a tiny bit, but the rear wing fell, so I couldn’t continue qualifying. They tried to change it, but didn’t make it in time.
“I didn’t see the rear wing was broken until I was in the pit lane because there was such a slight touch that I thought everything was okay, and then I was planning to pit anyway after obviously I spun because we wanted to put a new set [on].
Advertisement
“Ended up that, yeah, we just didn’t have time to change the rear wing. I messed up today.”
It’s another painful home weekend for the Brazilian, who crashed out on the opening lap of last year’s race at Interlagos.
Gabriel Bortoleto in the wet at Interlagos. Image Credit: Audi F1 Team
Bortoleto Says His Home Race Hasn’t Been Good to Him Yet
Bortoleto qualified last, in 22nd, but will start 19th due to penalties for others. Audi teammate Nico Hulkenberg will start fourth. Asked how it felt after last year, he said: “Well, right now, sh*t, right? “I mean, what can I say? Last year I had a crash.
“This year I couldn’t do qualifying properly because I messed up, so yeah, it looks like [the] home race for me hasn’t been good yet. Even if all FPs have been incredible, it just looks like when I need to deliver in qualifying, I messed up now, so [it] looks like [it] didn’t go well.”
Advertisement
He wasn’t the only Brazilian with a tough day. Making his F1 debut this weekend in place of Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Camara crashed out in Q2. He also went straight at Turn 12, locking up and hitting the barrier head-on.
Camara Saw the Positives and Apologized for His Mistake
The rookie did well considering how little he has driven an F1 car, let alone in the wet. He even beat teammate Oliver Bearman in Q1, though the Brit had a moment of his own at Turn 12. Bearman recovered to qualify eighth, while Camara qualified 13th and will start 11th due to penalties.
“Yeah, I think overall [it] was a positive day,” Camara told the media. “Yeah, first time on the wet in the Formula 1 car, but I think overall we were getting quite well. In the beginning, obviously, [it] was aquaplaning that made me lose the car, and then after that, I think I was able to do quite well [in] the session.
Advertisement
“In the end, just this one mistake that cost a bit, so I think [it] definitely was not ideal for the team, and I apologize to everyone, especially to the mechanics. But yeah, I think now for tomorrow we [will] just try to prepare in the best way and make sure that we are ready.”
Rafael Camara drives his Haas in the rain during qualifying at Interlagos. Image Credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Camara Studied Onboards to Learn the Wet
To prepare for a wet qualifying session, Camara watched onboard footage to learn which lines to take, though he found the real thing very different. “Yeah, definitely not easy,” he said.
“For sure, [I] was trying to build up the confidence, and that crash was not ideal for that. But yeah, I was just trying to look [at] a lot of onboards, see how they play with the car and how they drive in the wet, and just see lines, you know, where you find the grip.
Advertisement
“Obviously, once you’re on the track, it’s never the same, so you need to try different things in the wet. And yeah, I was feeling comfortable, after just that lock-up in the end.”
Told he would start 11th after the penalties, Camara said he needed to check, but was hopeful. “I think we had a good pace today, so I think let’s see what will be tomorrow, because we never know in São Paulo [what happens with] the weather, but I think for whatever conditions we can be ready and have a good race.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
