Home Formula RegionalFRegional European Championship Colapinto withdraws from FREC Monaco round after qualifying exclusion

Colapinto withdraws from FREC Monaco round after qualifying exclusion

by Craig Woollard

Photo: FRECA

Franco Colapinto has withdrawn from the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine round in Monaco after being stripped of his times following qualifying.

Colapinto took seventh on the grid for the first race on Saturday after coming fourth-fastest in his group but later had all his laptimes deleted because his car did not comply with the technical regulations.

Parc feme checks found that “two small spacers which were both installed on the car, were the wrong way round”, parts that provided no performance advantage. Following the exclusion, Colapinto has decided to withdraw from the rest of the weekend.

“The scrutineers and stewards of the FRECA championship should feel awful from penalising a driver in such a way on one of the most important weekends of Franco´s career,” said MP’s team principal Sander Dorsman.

“The decision to withdraw has not been taken lightly but it is clear with no way of appealing the decision of the stewards, that we will not take the risk of starting one race from last with no options to overtake in Monaco and the opportunity for taking any points.”

It continues a nightmare start to the season for Colapinto, who came third in the Formula Renault Eurocup last year.

He was forced to miss the opening round at Imola because it clashed with a European Le Mans Series commitment at Barcelona, and failed to score in the following event at Barcelona.

Colapinto’s withdrawal leaves 32 entries for the round on the Monte Carlo streets, prompting a change to the way that the grids will be formed for the two races.

The 12th-placed drivers in the results from each qualifying group – Arden’s Nicola Marinangeli and Colapinto’s MP team-mate and Bullet management stable-mate Oliver Goethe – are now guaranteed a place on the grid for both races, in addition to the top 11. The remaining eight drivers will each start one race.

The fastest driver in qualifying – Zane Maloney – will start Sunday’s race two from pole position with Isack Hadjar, who topped the slower group, starting Saturday’s race one from pole.

Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Group A Group B
1 Zane Maloney R-ace GP 1m28.893s
2 Isack Hadjar R-ace GP 1m29.727s
3 Hadrien David R-ace GP 1m29.047s
4 Paul Aron Prema 1m30.004s
5 Alex Quinn Arden 1m29.092s
6 Patrik Pasma KIC Motorsport 1m30.207s
7 William Alatalo Arden 1m29.336s
8 David Vidales Prema 1m30.212s
9 Gregoire Saucy ART Grand Prix 1m29.525s
10 Mari Boya Van Amersfoort Racing 1m30.476s
11 Thomas ten Brinke ART Grand Prix 1m29.565s
12 Gabriele Mini ART Grand Prix 1m30.564s
13 Andrea Rosso FA Racing by MP 1m29.695s
14 Pietro Delli Guanti Monolite Racing 1m30.726s
15 Kas Haverkort MP Motorsport 1m29.958s
16 Elias Seppanen KIC Motorsport 1m30.746s
17 Brad Benavides DR Formula 1m29.975s
18 Francesco Pizzi Van Amersfoort Racing 1m30.799s
19 Eduardo Barrichello JD Motorsport 1m30.146s
20 Lorenzo Fluxa Van Amersfoort Racing 1m30.836s
21 Dino Beganovic Prema 1m30.572s
22 Gabriel Bortoleto FA Racing by MP 1m30.863s
23 Oliver Goethe MP Motorsport 1m30.583s
24 Nicola Marinangeli Arden 1m31.343s
Qualifies for race two
25 Nico Gohler KIC Motorsport 1m32.524s
26 Tommy Smith JD Motorsport 1m31.854s
27 Alexandre Bardinon FA Racing by MP 1m32.701s
28 Emidio Pesce DR Formula 1m31.913s
Qualifies for race one
29 Axel Gnos G4 Racing 1m33.590s
30 Jasin Ferati Monolite Racing 1m32.557s
31 Alessandro Famularo G4 Racing 1m34.017s
32 Lena Buhler R-ace GP 1m32.638s
Withdrawn
DSQ Franco Colapinto MP Motorsport No time