Bortoleto Clarifies Misrepresented Radio Message After Crash

Gabriel Bortoleto clarified that a radio message suggesting he threatened to 'put Kimi Antonelli in the wall' during the Monaco Grand Prix was misleadingly edited and did not represent his true intentions. The first-lap incident saw Bortoleto crash into the barriers at Portier after an aggressive move by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, but neither driver received a penalty. Bortoleto criticized Antonelli’s maneuver as 'very optimistic' but reiterated their mutual respect and longstanding history from karting. He explained that his radio comment was questioning the lack of a penalty, not making a threat of retaliation. Bortoleto, still seeking his first F1 points, and Antonelli, debuting for Mercedes, both finished outside the top ten. The episode underscores the intense scrutiny on F1 rookies and how radio messages may be misinterpreted when presented out of context.