Gabriel Bortoleto avoided a penalty after a disputed yellow flag incident during Free Practice 2 of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The Kick Sauber driver was involved in a contentious overtaking move against Liam Lawson under yellow flag conditions, sparking debate among teams and fans.
Sequence Leading to the Yellow Flag Incident
The controversy began early in Free Practice 2 when Kimi Antonelli lost control of his Mercedes at the challenging Lesmo corner, sliding into the gravel. This incident led race officials to wave yellow flags, requiring all drivers to slow down and remain cautious. Due to Antonelli’s inability to recover his car, the session was stopped with a red flag.
During this chaotic period, Bortoleto overtook Lawson’s Racing Bulls car while the yellow flags were active. Witnesses noted that although Bortoleto reduced his speed, the timing of his pass raised concerns about compliance with safety protocols. This event echoed an earlier controversy involving Charles Leclerc, who overtook Nico Hulkenberg under red flags in Free Practice 1 but was not penalized.
Stewards‘ In-depth Review and Reasoning
The race stewards conducted a detailed investigation, examining marshalling data, video clips, and in-car footage to determine whether Bortoleto breached regulations under Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code. They found that as Bortoleto approached the yellow flag zone near Turn 7, Liam Lawson was already driving at a significantly reduced speed directly ahead.
The official report stated,
“The first yellow flag signal displayed was on the driver’s right after Turn 6. At the time the yellow flag was displayed, Car 5 was already in close proximity to Car 30, which resulted in Car 30 partially blocking the driver’s view of the yellow flag.”
—Stewards
The stewards highlighted that Bortoleto had insufficient time to react to the yellow flag before overtaking Lawson. Additionally, they emphasized that Bortoleto decreased his speed after passing the initial yellow flag and approached the incident area cautiously, mitigating risk despite the technical regulation breach.
Implications of the Steward’s Decision
Given these considerations, the stewards ruled no penalty would be imposed on Bortoleto. This judgment has generated significant discussion within the Formula 1 community, as gray areas in yellow flag enforcement continue to provoke tension and uncertainty among drivers and teams.
As the Italian GP controversy settles, the episode underscores how crucial and sensitive yellow flag regulations remain to driver safety and race fairness. The decisions made here may influence how similar incidents are judged in future events, with Formula 1 fans and officials closely monitoring subsequent developments.
