João Paulo de Oliveira e Bruno Baptista, pilotos protagonistas do violento impacto na curva 16 do Velopark na sexta-feira de treinos para a penúltima etapa da Stock Car 2025, receberam alta hospitalar em menos de 48 horas. O resultado alivia a categoria que, em plena decisão de campeonato, via dois de seus principais competidores serem submetidos a exames de tomografia e RM while o paddock aguardava notícias. João Paulo (Full Time Gazoo Racing) teve alta na noite de sexta, retornou ao circuito no sáutheir own words, and was cleared to follow physiotherapy at home after small fractures in the hip and lumbar vertebrae; Bruno Baptista (RCM Motorsport) deixou a clínica no fim da manhã do dia seguinte, retornou a São Paulo, and was prescribed rest for vertebral, rib and thumb injuries. Ambos estão fora da última etapa em Interlagos, mas sem sequelas imediatas, and will undergo reevaluation after 15 days.
O acidente happened on the second lap of the session as Baptista lost control in the curve 16, the fast left-hander that feeds the start-finish straight; his Toyota Corolla #83 veered off line, came back onto the track, and was struck at high speed by Oliveira. The impact destroyed both chassis, but the safety features of the Gen3 (roll-horiz, HANS and side intrusion panels) and the quick intervention of the safety crew kept injuries within the “stable fractures” range, avoiding internal or neurological damage. Championship-wise, Oliveira, who had 198 points and a mathematical chance of the title, sees his season ended prematurely, while Baptista, already eliminated from contention, sees his 2025 tally frozen at 117 points. The incident also affects the constructors standings: Full Time Gazoo Racing loses its top driver right when Toyota fights for the manufacturer’s trophy; RCM Motorsport will replace Bruno Baptista for the decisive round in Interlagos with Felipe Lappena, who already drove for the squad in the first two rounds. Gabriel Casagrande, leader with 236 points, now has one less rival no pelotão da frente, while Ricardo Maurício, segundo com 214, mantém pressão.
A Race Direction issued a brief noting that the collision was “racing incident” and no penalties will be applied. The technical inspection confirmed structural failure was not the cause; the focus shifts to track drainage at the apex of curve 16, where moisture buildup contributed to previous spins. Promoter Vicar is evaluating resurfacing this section before Interlagos to reduce porpoising and increase grip by 3-4% for the 2026 season. Meanwhile, the teams enter a 10-day off-track preparation window where they can test parts only in simulators, as per the championship’s testing restrictions. Both Full Time and RCM are allowed to homologate new chassis for the final race; they must be submitted to the federation within five days. Oliveira’s absence means Toyota will need a strong performance from Rubens Barrichello and Diego Nunes to keep the brand within striking distance of Chevrolet, which leads the manufacturer standings by 58 points.
With two races left in Interlagos, the championship remains open for Casagrande, Maurício, and Nunes, while the accident serves as a test case for the Gen3 safety features that will be retained for the Gen4 project planned for 2027. The focus now shifts to whether Casagrande can secure his first title without Oliveira’s pressure from behind, and whether Maurício’s experience on the 4.3 km paulista layout will be enough to reverse the 22-point deficit. For Oliveira and Baptista, the priority is recovery; doctors estimate 6-8 weeks for complete healing of the fractures, which would allow both to test the new car during the December shakedown at Curitiba. Sponsors and brands associated with them (Shell, TotalEnergies, and Banco do Brasil) have confirmed contracts remain intact for 2026. Pending final medical clearance, both drivers expect to be back in the cockpit for the opening race in Brasília next season.
