Gabriel Bortoleto walked away without injury after a dramatic high-speed crash during the final lap of the Sao Paulo sprint race, in an incident that saw his Sauber briefly lifted off the ground before coming to rest against the barriers.
The 21-year-old Brazilian driver was taken to the circuit medical centre for precautionary checks, but the team later confirmed he was unhurt.
The incident occurred as Bortoleto attempted to overtake Williams driver Alex Albon in damp conditions.
With parts of the circuit still slippery, Bortoleto moved to the outside line in search of space, but appeared to lose grip almost immediately.
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His car struck the barrier to the right of the track before ricocheting across and making heavy contact with the opposite wall, briefly becoming airborne in the process.
The impact caused significant damage to the Sauber, including a broken steering column, and debris was scattered across the circuit.
Despite the severity of the crash, Bortoleto was able to exit the car unaided and appeared alert. His family, who were present in the grandstands for his home race, were informed swiftly that he was safe.
F1 facts fans might not know | GETTY/GBNEWSThat was a big crash 💥
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 8, 2025
Huge relief to know Gabi is all right 🙏#F1Sprint #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/NNxKKSopr4
Sauber released a statement following the race, confirming the driver’s condition and acknowledging the swift response of race officials.
“Following precautionary checks at the circuit’s Medical Centre, we are pleased to report that Gabriel Bortoleto is ok and uninjured,” it said.
“The team would like to thank the circuit marshals, F1 and the FIA and the Medical Centre staff for their superb care. The team will now focus on preparing the cars for this afternoon’s qualifying session.”
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Gabriel Bortoleto was fortunately unharmed after his crash at the Brazilian Grand Prix
|REUTERS
Albon, who narrowly avoided being collected in the incident, expressed relief that the Brazilian was unharmed.
“I just hope he’s OK,” he said.
“These walls around Sao Paulo, especially around Turn 1… I had one there in qualifying last year, it hurts. I feel for him and hope he’s OK.”
Bortoleto, in his debut Formula 1 season, sits 19th in the drivers’ standings with 19 points.
Lando Norris won Saturday's sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix
|GETTY
He is currently two points behind Pierre Gasly of Alpine and 22 points behind his Sauber teammate Nico Hülkenberg.
The team now faces a challenge to repair the damaged chassis before qualifying later in the day, with team principal Jonathan Wheatley seen inspecting the car in the garage shortly after it was returned from the track.
The sprint itself was won by Lando Norris, who finished ahead of Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, while Max Verstappen took fourth.
The race also saw Oscar Piastri retire following a spin six laps in, leaving him without points from the session.