The journey to the Canadian Grand Prix was not without challenges for Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto. There was even a question of whether the Brazilian would be allowed into the country at all, after his passport was stolen in Zurich. During a dinner following a visit to the Sauber factory, thieves made off with Bortoleto’s backpack. Among other things, his passport and racing gear disappeared.
Gabriel Bortoleto almost missed the Grand Prix weekend in Montreal. The Brazilian driver fell victim to an unfortunate incident, during which his car was broken into and his backpack was stolen during a dinner in Zurich, Switzerland. The thieves made off with quite a haul, as Bortoleto’s passport, laptop, and racing gear were in the bag. The driver was in Switzerland for a visit to the Sauber factory in Hinwil.
Stolen Passport
“I was dining in Switzerland and during the meal, my car was broken into and my backpack was stolen,” Bortoleto himself tells the Brazilian Band. “Everything was in that bag: my passport, my laptop, all my racing gear.” Bortoleto’s participation in the race in Canada was in jeopardy, particularly because his passport was stolen. “It was chaos for a while, but we managed to find the culprit,” continues a relieved Sauber driver. “In the end, everything turned out fine. I got my passport back. We didn’t recover everything, but at least some of it.”
Bortoleto is currently in his debut season as a driver for Sauber. The Brazilian has yet to score points for the Swiss team, and his best result so far is his twelfth place in Spain. The Sauber driver clocked the sixteenth and thirteenth fastest times during the first two free practice sessions in Canada.
