Gabriel Bortoleto regretted the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car in the early part of the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1, held this Sunday (13) in Madring, a circuit located in Madrid. The Brazilian from Audi was in the points zone for most of the time due to the strategy in which he extended the stint with hard tires until lap 48, but finished only in 13th position at the end of the race.
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According to Bortoleto, as soon as the race was neutralized, he and the drivers who started on the harder compounds understood that if there was no new Safety Car deployment or a red flag, the strategy would be ruined. Since there was no new neutralization, the Brazilian went to the pits at the end of the race and finished outside the points zone.
“I think when the Virtual Safety Car came out, there on lap 15, everyone who started on hard tires understood that the race was over if there wasn’t a Safety Car later on or a red flag. Really, the VSC came at the worst possible lap, because everyone who was on soft or medium tires ahead of us put on hard tires and then went to the end,” Bortoleto began, in an interview with Sportv.
“We had to try to go almost until the last lap with this tire to see if we got lucky with a red flag or another Safety Car to put on softs, but unfortunately it didn’t work today. I had other luck this year and today was not the day. Today, really, it shouldn’t have happened in the race, neither for me nor for (Pierre) Gasly, who was on the same strategy,” the Brazilian continued.
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Bortoleto admitted that he liked the Spanish circuit that hosted F1 for the first time this weekend, considering it “quite challenging.” The Brazilian also highlighted that Audi managed to complete the race with both cars, and revealed that the four-ring team will have updates on the car for the Azerbaijan GP, scheduled for the Baku street circuit, which marks the next stage of the championship.
“The circuit is very cool, fun, quite challenging. Every moment you are on the limit, easy to make a mistake and crash. I’m glad that this weekend we managed to come out unscathed with both cars, we know it’s important for what we want for the year to keep bringing development to the car. So, I think that’s important. Now it’s on to the next one, Baku. We will have interesting things there and I’m quite excited,” Bortoleto concludes.
F1 will continue on September 27 with the Azerbaijan GP, with the race on the Baku city circuit, in the Azeri capital.
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