Bortoleto almost eliminates Hamilton and finishes 11th in Monza

During the Monza weekend, Gabriel Bortoleto was just 0.001 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, almost securing a spot in Q3. The Brazilian finished 11th and, due to the previously announced penalty for Kimi Antonelli, will start from the tenth row of the Italian GP.

Result that almost eliminates Hamilton

The Audi driver was 0.001 seconds behind Hamilton, which almost eliminated him from Q3. Bortoleto rated the result as “very positive” and highlighted that the car was placed in a much better position than they expected.

Monza challenges and car problems

During the weekend, Bortoleto had his race-pace practice cut short after a problem in the final part of Friday's second free practice. This reduced the amount of information he had about the car's performance in race conditions.

Grid position and points expectation

With 11th place in qualifying, the Audi driver will start 10th. Bortoleto believes it is possible to fight to maintain a top-10 finish in the race, but warned that the struggle with straight-line speed will be an obstacle to overcome.

Comparison with the rival team

Bortoleto's result maintains his advantage in the internal battle with Nico Hulkenberg, who finished 13th. Considering all qualifying sessions, the score is 10 to 8 for the Brazilian. In main races, the advantage is 7 to 6.

Driver's reaction

The São Paulo-born driver said he already knew the Monza race would not be easy, especially due to the deficiencies of the German power unit. He highlighted that Audi has an engine and start deficiency, but that the qualifying performance was “very good” despite a scare at turn 8.

Next step: the Italian GP

The Formula 1 Italian GP will start this Sunday at 10 a.m. (Brasília time). Audi and Bortoleto will continue to compete for a chance to score points on a circuit that is very difficult for the team.

With information from ge, MotorSport.com.br, LANCE!.