**Austrian broadcaster ORF apologizes after commentator’s controversial remarks about Gabriel Bortoleto’s family during Brazilian GP**
Austrian broadcaster ORF has issued a public apology after commentator Franz Tost made controversial remarks about Gabriel Bortoleto’s family during the live broadcast of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The incident occurred moments after the Sauber driver crashed out on the opening lap of his first home race at Interlagos. Bortoleto already faced a grid penalty, which left him starting from the back following a violent Sprint crash on Saturday. Emotions ran high in the Sauber garage when he was sent into the barriers once again at Turn 1 of the Grand Prix.
As the broadcast cut to his distraught family in the garage, Tost, co-commentator for ORF alongside Ernst Hausleitner, made a remark that immediately sparked backlash. He said, “He’s in the learning phase.” This statement quickly circulated online and drew widespread criticism from fans and insiders alike.
Facing mounting pressure, ORF issued a formal apology to Gabriel Bortoleto and his family through social media on Wednesday, November 12. The statement (translated from German) read:
> “During the co-commentary of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix, in the hectic start phase, when Gabriel Bortoleto’s mother and family were visible in the live broadcast after his crash, an unacceptable statement was unfortunately made, for which we sincerely apologize.
> The expression and choice of words were completely inappropriate, and ORF Sport will take appropriate precautions to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.”
Despite the difficult weekend, Gabriel Bortoleto remained composed. A clip of the young driver embracing his family after the race circulated widely online, capturing the heartbreak of a hometown hero whose dream debut weekend ended in despair.
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### Gabriel Bortoleto reflects on “one of the toughest weekends” of his career
For Bortoleto, the weekend at Interlagos was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it turned into a harsh learning experience.
The Sauber rookie’s troubles began during the Sprint race, when a misjudged move in Alex Albon’s slipstream sent him into the barriers before Turn 1 with a heavy 57g impact. The crash destroyed his car, leaving him unable to participate in qualifying.
Starting from last place on Sunday, Bortoleto managed to gain a couple of positions in the opening moments. However, contact with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin ended his race almost immediately.
After the race, Bortoleto admitted it was a weekend he would not easily forget:
> “I think it has been one of the toughest weekends of my whole career because I see that my fans are here, my family, my team.
> For them, it’s also very important and it was one of the biggest accidents I’ve had in my career, probably the biggest one.
> I think it’s a combination of things, and then not doing a single lap in the race after having a good start… until that moment, I think I was up two positions already,” he added.
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### Fans and team show strong support despite setbacks
Despite the heartbreak, fans at Interlagos showed their unwavering support for the young Brazilian. Grandstands were filled with Brazilian flags and banners bearing Bortoleto’s name.
His teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, salvaged a points finish for Sauber by securing P9 after a well-managed one-stop strategy. This brought some consolation to the team as they now turn their focus to the final three rounds of the 2025 season.
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*Edited by Parag Jain*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-f1-broadcaster-apologizes-controversial-comments-gabriel-bortoleto-s-family-brazilian-gp
