Lance Stroll Crashes Gabriel Bortoleto's Debut at GP Sao Paulo, Why is Franco Colapinto so Angry?

Franco Colapinto (Source: SB Natio)

INDOZONE.ID - Grand Prix Sao Paulo last weekend was still full of hot drama despite the event ending several days ago. This season, the Interlagos circuit turned into a chaos zone again in the first lap. Its victims? Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber driver and the home hero. The culprit? Lance Stroll from Aston Martin.

However, the most fascinating twist in this incident wasn't the collision itself but the reactions of the parties involved.

While Bortoleto calmly responded to the crash in front of his home crowd, a fellow driver who wasn't directly involved, Franco Colapinto from Alpine, actually "went ham" and launched scathing verbal attacks against Stroll.

Why would someone watching the race get more emotional than the actual crash victim?

The first lap at Interlagos was like a war zone. Every driver was fighting to secure a safe position to avoid an incident. Gabriel Bortoleto, starting from the middle of the grid, put up a spectacular show. Supported by thousands of Brazilian fans, this Kick Sauber driver started the race with a brilliant performance.

‘It was a good start. I overtook two cars, Lewis (Hamilton) and (Franco) Colapinto on the outside of turn six,’ explained Bortoleto as he navigated through the track smoothly.

The problems began when he decided to challenge Lance Stroll. After turning nine, Bortoleto was side by side with Stroll, with Bortoleto on the outside. Suddenly, Stroll, who was on the inside, slightly oversteered, exceeding the available space.

The AMR25 car of Stroll then sideswiped Bortoleto's front tire, causing him to lose control and crash into the barriers. Before the race even started, the Brazilian hero's day was over.

This is where it becomes really surprising. Instead of blaming Stroll, Bortoleto displayed extraordinary maturity. He refused to engage in a "who's right or wrong" debate.

‘There's no one to be blamed here,’ Bortoleto said calmly.

‘It's just the first lap and I'm on the outside. He opened up a little more space than was available. He clipped my front tire and I ended up in the barriers,’ Bortoleto explained.

Bortoleto went on to even defend Stroll, stating, ‘I think it was just a racing incident. Of course, if he had given me a bit more space, I could have navigated the turn and possibly overtake him because my tires were better (soft). But again, it was just a racing incident. I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose.’