Feature
MONZA FLASHBACK: Gabriel Bortoleto’s charge from last to first
Turnarounds don’t get bigger than the last slot on the grid to the top step of the podium, and Gabriel Bortoleto’s title charge of 2024 was ignited by a truly special result on our last visit to Monza.
After a mistake in Qualifying left him staring down the barrel of an almost impossible task, the Brazilian dusted himself down, charged through the field and collected the biggest trophy for his efforts.
Here is a look back at how he and Invicta Racing pulled off one of the greatest F2 wins ever.
QUALIFYING MISHAP
The weekend got off to a difficult start of course, as a wide moment at the first Lesmo right-hander left him slightly wide, and the Invicta driver couldn’t pull himself back onto the track in time to avoid a spin into the gravel.
With no time on the board, it was a bitter blow and looked like the end to his hopes for the Monza weekend there and then. Title rivals Isack Hadjar and Paul Aron achieved top five results in Qualifying, the Frenchman second and Estonian third on Friday to rub salt in the wound.
DRESS REHERSAL
The Sprint Race came first and Bortoleto fired off a warning shot to his rivals with a stellar drive to half a point - more on that in a moment.
P22 to P8 began with a solid start, and the Brazilian benefitted from a Turn 1 incident that took out Zak O’Sullivan, Oliver Goethe and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He picked off another two cars on the opening lap and was on the attack at the Safety Car restart on Lap 4.
Another two positions into the first corner lifted him to 16th, and that became 15th before the end of the lap.
He was up to 14th by the end of the fifth tour, and while progress slowed from that point on, Bortoleto made assured moves to close in on the top 10.
With three laps to go, the Invicta driver was 10th and having looked likely to lose points to his title rival Aron and Hadjar, he moved ahead of both after the former suffered contact at Turn 2.
Onto the final lap and he was clinging to the rear wing of Dennis Hauger in P8, and a great run through the final corner gave him an opening. In an incredible outcome, the duo crossed the line at the exact same time, separated by 0.000s on the timing screens, so they shared the point between them.
All eyes then turned to what Bortoleto might achieve in the longer Feature Race on Sunday…
COMPLETE TURNAROUND
Another opening lap tear moved Bortoleto up to 15th immediately, and his title hopes were aided after Aron was caught up in a first corner collision that ended his race having gone from row two.
The progress through the field was slower than it had been in the Sprint, but running the alternative strategy was about to pay off as several drivers began making their stops once the pitlane opened.
Bortoleto remained on track, and he benefitted from a Safety Car intervention on Lap 8 to make his mandatory stop and emerged ahead of those on the conventional strategy.
He kept pole sitter, and title rival, Zane Maloney at arm’s length as he put several cars between himself and the Bajan driver on the restart. Lap 15 and Bortoleto claimed the lead of the race from teammate Kush Maini, and he didn’t look back.
The Brazilian eventually crossed the line just under 10 seconds clear of the pack to win from P22 and last. Afterwards, he reflected on what he’d just achieved and was still in disbelief.
“The chance of this happening is less than one percent, it’s just unreal. With the pace we had today, plus the Safety Car, everything aligned, the stars aligned, we had mega pace as well with both tyres, and being able to pull away and to win like this in Monza, like a home race for me. I live in Milan, so it feels like home, and it’s just unreal, I’m so happy.”