Photo: Prema
Both of Prema’s Formula 2 drivers will carry grid penalties over into the next round of the season at Monza.
Ollie Bearman has been given a five-place drop for being found wholly responsible for a collision he had with Campos Racing’s Pepe Marti at the start of the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps, which led to both retiring. He has also had two penalty points put on his race license.
His team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has an even more punishing 10-place drop, but for rule violations the team are responsible for.
FIA stewards said that dry ice pellets were seen coming out of Antonelli’s car at turns 14 and 17 on the formation lap of the Spa feature race. Since a similar incident occurred for Prema at Silverstone, where a suspended five-place grid penalty was given, Antonelli not only gets the grid penalty for this violation but also the previous one.
Prema has also been handed a €2,000 (£1,691) fine to cover off the two dry ice incidents.
Hitech GP’s Paul Aron has escaped a sporting punishment after his car was also reported to be dispensing dry ice pellets at turns 14, 17 and 18 on the formation lap, but Hitech will be fined €1,000 (£845). He retired on the last lap of the race with a technical issue that is yet to be identified by his team.
Meanwhile Trident’s Roman Stanek and Virtuosi Racing’s Kush Maini both got five-second penalties for exceeding track limits four times, but it was of no consequence since both finished far outside of the points places.
There were plenty of penalties also handed out after the supporting FIA Formula 3 feature race.
ART Grand Prix’s Christian Mansell and Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake both got 10s penalties and two penalty points added to their licenses for causing collisions at turn eighth with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sophia Floersch and Prema’s Arvid Lindblad respectively, AIX Racing’s Nikita Bedrin and Rodin’s Piotr Wisnicki received 10s penalties for off-track passes on Jenzer Motorsport’s Matias Zagazeta and VAR’s Tommy Smith, Hitech’s Cian Shields was handed a five-second penalty and a penalty points as he “failed to stay above minimum time during the Safety Car procedure”, and Jenzer’s Charlie Wurz was penalised five seconds for speeding in the pitlane.
All of those drivers finished outside of the points, so the penalties are of little impact.