FIA decides Spa F3 sprint race counts for points, penalises Prema pair

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

The FIA has decided that this morning’s Formula 3 sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps will award points, after it was initially determined that not enough green-flag action had taken place.

On Thursday, the race was shortened from 15 to 12 laps due to concerns about tyre durability. In the end the tyres were not put to the test, as crashes and wet weather meant the race ran primarily behind the safety car.

In the series regulations, it states “no points will be awarded unless a minimum of two laps have been completed by the leader without a safety car and/or virtual safety car intervention”. That was cited by the championship when the race finished, as less than two full laps of green flag running had been completed.

However, this only applies if the “scheduled race distance” is shortened or the race is suspended and not resumed, when all 12 planned laps were in fact run.

In the paddock, several competitors were told that points would in fact be awarded for the race, although it was only 10 hours after the chequered flag that a final result was published confirming that would be the case.

While Caio Collet therefore gets 10 points for his victory in the race (plus one for fastest lap), two of those who originally finished in points-paying positions have been denied those scores because of penalties.

Championship contender Zak O’Sullivan originally finished fourth but receives a five-second penalty for passing Hugh Barter after both went off-track at Raidillon, stewards determining that he gained a lasting advantage by carrying more speed off the circuit.

O’Sullivan’s Prema team-mate Dino Beganovic finished ninth after contact with Gabriel Bortoleto at La Source that caused the championship leader to retire, and has been given a 10-second penalty as a result.

O’Sullivan falls to 15th and Beganovic to 22nd in the results, with Tommy Smith also picking up a 10s penalty for contact with Oliver Goethe, demoting him to 24th and final finisher.

Gabriele Mini has been given a five-place grid penalty for his coming together with Pepe Marti, who avoided sanction for rejoining into the path of Ido Cohen because he was following a marshal’s instruction.

Revised result (12 laps)