Brazilian driver from KTF Sports scored points in both races in Monaco

This weekend, the streets of Monte Carlo in Monaco hosted the activities of the fourth round of the FIA F3 as a support race to the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The 30 competitors that make up the grid had a lot of work to tackle the challenges of the most iconic and difficult track on the calendar. Leading the championship, Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto finished the races in sixth and fifth positions, respectively, and added important points to the Championship.

Unlike the other rounds on the calendar, the schedule in Monaco started on Thursday with the only free practice session. With a track that started wet and dried throughout the session, the drivers had little opportunity to work on the car setups. With a time of 1m27s501, Gabriel Bortoleto secured the fifth position.

On Friday, the cars returned to the treacherous European track for the qualifying session, which was divided into two groups due to the characteristics of the circuit. Bortoleto took to the track in Group B but was unable to find clear track space in his attempts to unleash his full potential. Hindered by slower laggards, he couldn’t extract all the potential of his Trident #5 and finished fourth in the group. This position allowed him to start in sixth place for Saturday’s race and in seventh place for Sunday’s race.

Having arrived at the round with a 20-point lead in the championship and considering his starting positions, Bortoleto’s sole objective was to accumulate as many points as possible. Therefore, on a track where overtaking is almost impossible, the driver competed with a 100% mental approach and, without getting involved in incidents, finished the first race in sixth place and the second race in fifth place. Overall, Gabriel added 15 more points to the Championship and leaves Monte Carlo with 73 points, 17 more than the second-placed driver.

“This was the first weekend of the year in Monaco where I wasn’t directly fighting for victory in the races. I couldn’t find clear track space in any of my fast laps during qualifying, and with the difficulty of overtaking on this circuit, we decided to have really conservative races and save as many points as possible for the Championship. I believe we achieved our objective well; I added 15 more points to the standings, and my gap to the second-placed driver decreased by only three points. I leave here with 73 points in the standings, and next weekend, we’ll already be in Barcelona for another regular round, on a track that I’ve always liked and performed well in practice. Let’s go for it,” commented the 18-year-old driver.

The FIA-F3 Championship continues its calendar next weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. The activities, as usual, will take place from Friday to Sunday with live coverage on the BandSports channel and Band Play.

Pictures: James Gasperotti | KTF Sports

Press office of KTF Sports
Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick