Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli was threatened by Sauber F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto in an X-rated and unseen radio message throughout Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix
An un-televised radio message has uncovered the surprising second Gabriel Bortoleto commented about placing Kimi Antonelli “within the wall” after their Monaco Grand Prix flashpoint. The Components One rookies had been concerned in a first-lap incident at Monte Carlo which resulted in Sauber’s Bortoleto crashing into the barrier at Portier.
Mercedes’ Antonelli was on a mission to make amends for a qualifying mistake that left him beginning fifteenth on the grid. He misplaced a place to Bortoleto within the first lap due to a slick manoeuvre by the Brazilian on the hairpin.
Antonelli, simply moments later, sought to take the place again with an bold transfer down Bortoleto’s inside on the tough proper hander. Though they prevented contact, Bortoleto was squeezed out and went straight into the wall.
Bortoleto needed to pit for a brand new wing whereas Antonelli managed to flee a penalty from the stewards. The incident left Bortoleto fuming over his former F2 rival’s aggressive driving, even stating that he’d give Antonelli a style of his personal drugs subsequent time he got here throughout the Italian on the monitor.
A radio message emerged within the aftermath of the race the place Sauber’s race engineer may very well be heard telling Bortoleto to reverse after his collision. The Brazilian vented: “Kimi pushed me off! Is the automotive OK?” as his engineer responded: “Our entrance wing is broken, entrance wing is broken. We’re boxing to vary the entrance wing. And we noticed what occurred.”
Bortoleto continued: “F*** it. Antonelli, man! Desperated [sic] child!” Later, after he had recovered, Bortoleto closed in on Antonelli and requested: “I believe we’re catching Antonelli right here. Did he get a penalty for what he did?”
The Sauber engineer replied: “So, Gabi, we’re all on the identical practice and he didn’t get a penalty. He didn’t get a penalty,” earlier than Bortoleto threatened: “OK. I’ll put him within the wall subsequent time.”
Regardless of having to make three pit stops, Bortoleto managed a 14th place end. In the meantime, Antonelli recorded his worst F1 end result, ending in 18th place.
Bortoleto did not maintain again when airing his emotions about Antonelli after the race, saying: “It’s a disgrace what occurred there on the primary lap, I believe I managed to make a really strong transfer in Flip 6 within the hairpin, so it was very good across the exterior and I gained a place.
“Clearly, he doesn’t need to see any automotive forward of him, shedding a place in Monaco is kind of embarrassing, it’s unhealthy as a result of usually, traditionally you don’t lose place however you don’t acquire as nicely.
“And I believe he tried a really optimistic transfer there. We have now seen a whole lot of crashes there previously, it’s not the primary time. He didn’t contact me, however he simply went straight and to keep away from crashing into him, I crashed into the wall and destroyed my entrance wing, wanted to reverse, return to the pits and sadly that’s how my race ended up.”
Antonelli, nevertheless, defended his resolution to go Bortoleto at a bit of the monitor the place overtaking is notably troublesome, claiming he was forward of the Sauber on the apex of the nook.
He mentioned: “It was an aggressive transfer however on the finish of the day, I didn’t contact him. And likewise on the apex, I used to be forward.
“After all, you don’t need to see him within the wall and my intention was to not put him within the wall. However on the finish of the day, I didn’t contact him and I attempted my greatest to present him as a lot house as doable. However, in fact, you recognize, Monaco could be very tight and it could possibly occur.”
Bortoleto received F2 whereas driving for Invicta Racing final 12 months however the 20-year-old is at the moment joint backside of the F1 drivers’ standings, having did not earn a single level since becoming a member of the Audi-owned Sauber group.
Antonelli, in the meantime, has racked up 48 factors after entering into Lewis Hamilton’s sneakers on the Silver Arrows.
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