SAO PAULO, Nov 7 : Brazilian drivers endured a torrid, rain-hit qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Saturday as Gabriel Bortoleto finished last and F1 debutant Rafael Camara qualified 13th, dampening the excitement surrounding Brazil's first home driver pairing at Interlagos in a decade.
Audi's Bortoleto slid into the barriers in Q1, reviving memories of last year's nightmare when he retired on the opening lap of his first home Grand Prix after an earlier sprint crash.
"Right now, (it feels like) shit. I mean,. what can I say? Last year, I had a crash. This year, I couldn't do qualifying properly because I messed up.
"So yeah, it looks like home race for me hasn't been good yet," Bortoleto told reporters, adding he would clear his head and try to put together a strong performance on Sunday.
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Camara, making his Formula One debut for Haas after replacing Frenchman Esteban Ocon, spun in Q1 and recovered, only to lose control later in the session and hit the wall.
Camara described it as a chaotic qualifying session but played down the incident, saying the support from the home crowd helped him keep a positive mindset despite the setback.
"I think it’s another learning experience for tomorrow. Of course, it’s not ideal, but you end up understanding more and preparing yourself much better."
Both Brazilians gained places on the grid after qualifying, as penalties reshuffled the starting order.
Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton were already set to start from the back after taking additional power unit components, promoting Bortoleto to 19th.
Charles Leclerc, who qualified ahead of Camara, will also drop behind the Brazilian due to a penalty, leaving the Haas driver set to start 11th.
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