The Brazilian driver won on track the Feature Race in Qatar but received a penalty for violating pit entry rules. He remains the championship leader with a half-point advantage.

The 13th and penultimate round of the FIA Formula 2 World Championship concluded this Sunday. Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto, racing for Invicta Racing, had a highly productive weekend, showing consistent speed since the practice sessions and being among the fastest cars on the track. The races for this round took place at the Lusail Circuit in Qatar, hosting an F2 event for the first time.

Coming into the Middle Eastern track with high spirits, Bortoleto had recently been announced as a full-time driver for Sauber/Audi’s Formula 1 team for the upcoming season. Fully focused on the title fight, the 20-year-old Brazilian demonstrated impressive speed from the first practice session. During Friday’s qualifying session, Gabriel maximized the potential of Invicta Racing’s car #10, clocking a time of 1:35.450 to secure the second-best lap, earning ninth place on the grid for the Sprint Race and second place for the Feature Race.

As per usual in F2 weekends, the Sprint Race took place on Saturday. Bortoleto, showing strong pace and precision, managed to climb four positions despite the race not requiring a mandatory pit stop. He crossed the finish line in fifth place after 23 laps.

On Sunday, Bortoleto arrived at the track determined to fight for victory. Following an excellent start, he jumped into the lead, maintaining a strong pace and gradually extending his advantage lap after lap. Starting on medium tires, he and Invicta Racing planned a first stint lasting 13 laps. However, just as Gabriel was about to pit, a Virtual Safety Car period was triggered. According to F2 regulations, mandatory pit stops are not allowed under such circumstances. At the last moment before entering the pit lane, the team instructed Gabriel to stay on track. Already on the pit entry lane, he sharply turned back onto the track, inadvertently violating pit entry rules, resulting in a five-second penalty added to his total race time.

Two laps later, Gabriel made his pit stop, which was flawlessly executed by his team. He rejoined the race virtually in first place but needed to offset the five-second penalty. Determined, he pushed hard, overtaking three rivals and continuing at maximum speed. With three laps remaining, he regained the on-track lead but couldn’t build a margin exceeding five seconds. As a result, after 30 laps, he crossed the finish line first but was classified third.

After 13 rounds, Gabriel Bortoleto remains the FIA Formula 2 Championship leader with 188.5 points. Isac Hadjar (FRA) is second with 188 points, and Paul Aron (EST) is third with 163. The 14th and final round will take place next weekend in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit.

“It’s a strange feeling… I won on track but stood on the podium as third. The penalty was fair. Unfortunately, I had no other choice in that moment. Nonetheless, I can say I pushed my equipment to its limits, and that effort still secured third place today. We also had a great race yesterday, moving up four positions to finish fifth. Now, it’s all or nothing in Abu Dhabi. I’m going there with a knife between my teeth. I’m leading by just half a point, and we’ll fight until the final checkered flag to bring this title to Brazil. I BELIEVE! Let’s go!” commented the young 20-year-old from São Paulo.

Pictures: James Gasperotti | KTF Sports

Press office of Gabriel Bortoleto
Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick