News Summary
- Gabriel Bortoleto received a 10-second penalty following contact with Carlos Sainz.
- The incident happened at the Lap 13 restart of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia.
- Both drivers complained over team radio, offering conflicting accounts of the collision.
Gabriel Bortoleto received a 10-second penalty after contact with Carlos Sainz at the Lap 13 restart of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Audi driver made contact with the Williams, sending Sainz sideways as racing resumed at Sepang.
The incident added another flashpoint to a disrupted Formula 1 race, following the rain delay, suspended starting procedure and subsequent Safety Car. Bortoleto and Sainz immediately expressed their frustration over team radio, each suggesting the other was responsible for the contact.
Bortoleto complained that Sainz had not left enough room, according to the radio message displayed on the television broadcast.
“Mate, what the fuck?! He doesn’t give me space there,” Bortoleto said.
Sainz offered the opposite assessment, insisting that he had given the Audi driver sufficient space.
“Fucking Gabi. Left him all the space in the world. Ah!” Sainz said.
The resulting sanction was a 10-second time penalty for Bortoleto. With the race still underway, its final effect on his finishing position remained to be determined.
The collision followed a chaotic opening phase in which Hamilton became stranded and Leclerc reported a software glitch as the starting procedure was suspended. Once the race began, Bottas’s excursion into the gravel brought out the Safety Car before the Lap 13 restart.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is covering all the action from the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang.
F1 today: FAQ
Who won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October, taking his first victory of the 2026 F1 season. Kimi Antonelli finished second, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.
Why was the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delayed?
Heavy rain initially delayed the start at Sepang. Several drivers then experienced power delivery problems during the formation procedure, forcing race control to suspend the start again. The race eventually began more than 90 minutes after its scheduled time.
How far ahead is Kimi Antonelli in the F1 championship?
Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 84 points after finishing second at Sepang while his Mercedes teammate retired. Antonelli has 320 points, Russell has 236 and Lewis Hamilton is third with 214.
