Latest news with #FRECA
Time of India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto's passport stolen ahead of Canadian Grand Prix
Image credit: Gabriel Bortoleto/Instagram Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto's preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix were marred by an unexpected hiccup — the theft of his passport. The incident occurred while Bortoleto was in Switzerland preparing for the race weekend. Thieves broke into his car and made off with his backpack, which contained his passport, computer, and racing gear. Gabriel Bortoleto's debut season with Sauber Despite the theft, Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto fortunately managed to catch his flight to Canada using a second passport, minimising the disruption to his schedule. 'I had gone to dinner one day in Switzerland and they ended up opening the car and taking my backpack. I had my passports, everything inside — my computer, all my running gear,' Bortoleto told Brazilian media, as quoted by Mirror. 'It was chaos, but we managed to find the guy. Everything worked out in the end. I have my passports. We didn't find everything, but we did find some things,' he said. All about Gabriel Bortoleto This is the 20-year-old's debut season as a Formula 1 driver. Bortoleto currently races for Sauber, having joined the team ahead of the 2025 season. He is yet to score a point, with his best finish so far being 12th place at the Spanish Grand Prix in May. Just three years ago, in 2022, Bortoleto's racing career was at a crossroads. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Without sponsorship or formal management, his future in motorsport was uncertain. Determined to keep the dream alive, Bortoleto and his father explored every possible opportunity — and that's when two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso entered the picture. Alonso had been following Bortoleto's career closely since his time in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and was impressed by the young Brazilian's growth and determination. 'We have a very good relationship with each other,' Bortoleto told 'I think it's mainly a professional relationship. Always when we talk, it's mainly about racing. When I see him on track, if I have any questions, he always helped me in F3 and F2,' he said. Also Read: Canadian Grand Prix 2025: Schedule, when and where to watch the race, weather prediction With Alonso's mentorship and guidance, Bortoleto flourished, winning the FRECA championship in his rookie season. He later went on to win the Formula 2 title in 2024.
New York Times
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Marta Garcia: Former F1 Academy champion out of hospital after major crash
Former F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia has been released from hospital following a serious crash in a Le Mans Cup race at Barcelona. The Spanish driver was leading Saturday's race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya when contact with a Ferrari car from the AF Corse squad triggered a frightening accident for the inaugural F1 Academy champion. Advertisement It occurred halfway through the 2025 season opener for the championship that supports the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans sportscar race, as Garcia's Iron Dames Porsche car slammed into the barriers at high speed and caught fire. Garcia, who later said in a post on Instagram that the crash registered a 21G impact force, was initially trapped in a cockpit that was filling with smoke, as her driver's side door had been damaged in the initial crash. But after trackside marshals broke the passenger side door, the 24-year-old was able to exit the wreckage. In a post on Instagram, she called the incident 'one of the toughest moments in my career,' adding that she had inhaled some smoke and felt dizzy afterwards. 'I couldn't open my door because it was stuck from the impact, and I started panicking as more and more smoke was coming into the car… until the marshals broke the co-driver's door and got me out,' the post read. She was taken to a hospital near to the track, which is situated around 25km north of downtown Barcelona, and stayed overnight as a precaution. Tests revealed she had suffered no major injuries, Garcia said on Instagram, and after a second night in hospital, she was released on Tuesday morning. A post shared by Marta | Racing Driver (@martagarcialopez19) Since being released from hospital on Tuesday, Garcia has travelled back to the Barcelona track to support the Iron Dames/Prema Racing organization with which she competed in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) by Alpine, posting a picture of herself trackside on Instagram. The series is a step up motorsport's single seater pyramid — the path for young drivers to learn the ropes if they hope to one day race in Formula One — from F1 Academy. It uses similar cars to the all-female championship, albeit with more powerful engines, and is supported by the Renault-owned Alpine road car manufacturing brand. After finishing 28th in the 2024 FRECA standings following her F1 Academy title-winning season the year before, Garcia announced that she would stop competing in single-seater championships and concentrate on sportscar racing. (Top photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)
