Gabriel Bortoleto takes eighth at Mexico City GP after penalties

Gabriel Bortoleto climbed from eleventh to eighth place at the Mexico City Grand Prix, returning to the points standings after three drivers received post-race penalties.

Late Penalties Promote Bortoleto to Eighth Place

Driving for Audi, Bortoleto initially crossed the finish line in eleventh position on Sunday, marking his sixth eleventh-place finish of the season. However, post-race stewards penalized three drivers, altering the final classification and lifting the Brazilian driver into the pointspaying positions, as reported by UOL. Oscar Piastri received a 10-second time penalty for a late-race collision with Arvid Lindblad that forced the rookie out of the race. Stewards also penalized Alpine teammates Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly for failing to reduce speed under yellow flag conditions.

The adjustments dropped Piastri from seventh to fourteenth place, while Colapinto fell to fifteenth and Gasly to seventeenth. The penalties elevated Bortoleto to eighth overall, ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Isack Hadjar moved up to ninth place, and Hirakawa took tenth.

Overcoming Weekend Engine Trouble in Altitude

The points finish arrived at the end of a turbulent weekend that saw Bortoleto complete minimal running during free practice sessions due to engine issues. Without adequate reference laps on a high-altitude circuit, the driver advanced straight into qualifying and started the race from thirteenth on the grid before executing a clean opening stint.

Pelo amor de Deus, décimo primeiro mil vezes já esse ano, não aguento mais!

Reflecting on the weekend via social media, Bortoleto celebrated the unexpected recovery. Saímos do México com um P8 e ótimos pontos pra equipe, depois de um final de semana maluco, sem fazer nenhum treino e ir direto pra classificação, não tinha como querer muito mais! he posted on Instagram. Feliz de ir pro Brasil com um bom resultado e não vejo a hora de acelerar na frente do meu país.

Standings Movement Ahead of São Paulo

With the eighth-place finish, Bortoleto brings his season total to 14 points, advancing to fourteenth in the drivers’ championship standings and surpassing Hulkenberg, who sits on 13 points. The result halts a scoring drought that dated back to the Belgian Grand Prix in July.