Merhi loses Paul Ricard F2 podium finish
Ex-Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi has been disqualified from the F2 feature race at Paul Ricard due to a tyre infringement.
Photo by: FIA Formula 2
The MP Motorsport driver excelled in the wet early part of the race to score the team’s second consecutive podium in as many rounds, rising from 14th on the grid to finish.
But after the race the Spanish driver's car was deemed to be non-compliant with the regulations.
It follows MP losing its maiden victory in GP3, with Dorian Boccolacci being excluded after his victory earlier on Saturday.
An F2 statement read: “Following today’s FIA Formula 2 Championship Feature Race at Le Castellet, France, it was determined that car 9 was in breach of the Technical Regulations having failed to comply with the tyre pressure specifications.
“All four tyres were below the minimum tyre pressures specified by the tyre manufacturer and, as a consequence, Roberto Merhi has been disqualified from the final results having finished in third place.”
The result means Luca Ghiotto takes a podium finish despite two spins at the entry to the circuit’s main straight, which was followed with a brilliant recovery drive.
Nicholas Latifi had finished eighth to take reverse-grid pole for Sunday's sprint race after a last lap duel with Tadasuke Makino, but the former is now seventh with Honda junior driver Makino taking eighth.
Amended results:
Pos. | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
---|---|---|---|
1 | George Russell | ART Grand Prix | 58'28.750 |
2 | Sergio Sette Camara | Carlin | 1.108 |
3 | Luca Ghiotto | Campos Racing | 37.879 |
4 | Antonio Fuoco | Charouz Racing System | 43.655 |
5 | Nyck de Vries | Prema Powerteam | 45.680 |
6 | Louis Deletraz | Charouz Racing System | 53.226 |
7 | Nicholas Latifi | DAMS | 1'16.951 |
8 | Tadasuke Makino | RUSSIAN TIME | 1'17.343 |
9 | Nirei Fukuzumi | Arden International | 1'20.384 |
10 | Arjun Maini | Trident | 1'30.605 |
11 | Jack Aitken | ART Grand Prix | 1'32.469 |
12 | Maximilian Gunther | Arden International | 1'37.662 |
13 | Santino Ferrucci | Trident | 1 lap |
14 | Artem Markelov | RUSSIAN TIME | 1 lap |
15 | Roy Nissany | Campos Racing | 1 lap |
16 | Lando Norris | Carlin | 1 lap |
DQ | Roberto Merhi | MP Motorsport | - |
Ret | Alexander Albon | DAMS | 12 laps |
Ret | Ralph Boschung | MP Motorsport | 18 laps |
Ret | Sean Gelael | Prema Powerteam | 23 laps |
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