The world of Formula 1 thrives on high speeds and constant surprises, but when safety concerns emerge, the spotlight becomes even more intense. After the heavy crash involving Brazilian rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto during Free Practice at the 2025 British Grand Prix in Silverstone, former Formula 1 driver and respected commentator Martin Brundle voiced serious concerns over the structural integrity of the Stake Formula 1 car, currently run by the Hinwil-based Sauber team.
The incident took place at one of the most demanding and high-speed sections of the Silverstone Circuit, specifically in the sweeping Becketts-Chapel complex. During the closing minutes of the FP3 session, Gabriel Bortoleto lost control of his Stake C45, which spun violently across the curbs and grassy runoff. As the car destabilized, the left front suspension collapsed, causing the car to come to a stop just moments before what could have been a heavy impact with the barriers on the exit of Chapel corner.
The crash triggered the second red flag of the day and brought the final free practice session to an early conclusion. But the bigger concern was the mechanical failure itself.
Martin Brundle, a veteran of Formula 1 both as a driver and as a long-time analyst for Sky Sports F1, analyzed the crash live on air and pointed out how external conditions might have played a role—but not entirely explained the structural failure.
“I think the wind was unsettling him down there,” said Brundle during the live broadcast, suggesting the blustery weather at Silverstone may have caught the rookie out. However, the tone quickly shifted as he recalled another worrying incident involving Gabriel Bortoleto earlier in the season.
Martin Brundle referenced the Brazilian driver’s unlucky Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where a rear suspension failure—without any contact—forced Gabriel Bortoleto to retire from the race.
“At Melbourne, we saw the rear suspension on his Sauber—or Stake, rather—fail before he had even touched anything,” Brundle noted, pointing to a worrying pattern of component failures.
The British commentator then described in harsh terms the aftermath of the crash at Silverstone, based on what he observed when the car was brought back to the paddock on a recovery truck.
“I saw the car come back on the flatbed, and the entire front-left corner was literally snapped—like a broken egg, or like a twig,” Brundle said, painting a vivid image of just how badly the component had failed under lateral stress.
He continued: “I don’t know exactly what’s going on with the structural integrity, but the moment you start hitting those side curbs… they catch you out. And this is the second time where you think, ‘He’s lucky to walk away from that.’”
This second occurrence of a suspension failure has led Brundle to raise serious doubts about the structural soundness of the Stake C45 chassis. His remarks suggest that these incidents might not be isolated cases, but rather symptoms of a more deeply rooted weakness in the design or construction of the car—especially under stress from curb impacts and aerodynamic loads.
While all Formula 1 cars must pass rigorous FIA crash and structural tests before being approved for competition, Martin Brundle’s comments bring attention to a crucial detail: passing static crash tests does not necessarily guarantee long-term durability or performance under the unique dynamic conditions of a Grand Prix weekend.
In a sport where every millimeter of aerodynamic balance and every kilogram of structural weight is pushed to the limit, even minor compromises in design or material fatigue can lead to dangerous consequences. For a team like Stake F1 Team (Sauber), which is already fighting in the lower half of the grid, consistent mechanical issues such as these could prove both dangerous and performance-defining.
The coming races will be critical in assessing whether these failures were coincidental or if deeper reliability and safety concerns must be addressed by the team based in Hinwil, Switzerland.
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