Apr 2

Apr 2 Winner Franco Colapinto disqualified from Formula 3 sprint race

Formula 3 sprint race winner Franco Colapinto and his MP Motorsport teammates have been disqualified after failing scrutineering checks.

Franco Colapinto celebrates with team MP Motorsport in pit lane. *(XPB Images)*

The MP Motorsport cars of Colapinto, Mari Boya, and Jonny Edgar were inspected after the race and found to have non-compliant modifications to the keel of their F3 cars.

Colapinto had taken victory in the Melbourne sprint race, with Boya in ninth and Edgar in 11th.

The penalty promotes Zak O’Sullivan to the top step of the podium, with Sebastian Montoya in second and Paul Aron in third.

The FIA stewards said that the part “was different in its geometry from the spare parts catalogue and not in conformity with the Dallara User Manual.”

The offending parts from the MP Motorsport bodywork. *(FIA)*

“The keel is designated in the spare parts catalogue as a Type 2 part.”

“Very minor repairs to bodywork components classified as “Type 2” may be made by the competitor provided the damage does not affect an area greater than 150mm at it’s maximum dimension…”

“The team representative agreed that the geometry of the keel… did not conform with the geometry of the authorised part.”

“He could not explain how the difference arose. He indicated that the keel originally supplied had been repaired by the team but suggested that the repairs had not altered the geometry of the keel…”