MATTEO DE PALO LOSES FIRST FORMULA 3 VICTORY AFTER DISQUALIFICATION
Matteo De Palo’s first Formula 3 Feature Race victory has been taken away after a post-race technical inspection found a violation on his car. The McLaren junior driver crossed the finish line as the winner, but the result was later changed after officials discovered that the rear diffuser of his car was below the minimum permitted height.
The technical infringement meant that De Palo was disqualified from the race, losing what would have been a huge milestone in his young career. The Italian driver had delivered the strongest performance of his season so far, after struggling to score points for the whole year.
The decision opened the door for Ernesto Rivera, who originally finished second, to inherit the victory. However, Rivera was also hit by a penalty after stewards judged that he had been weaving on track, resulting in a five-second time penalty. The sanction dropped him out of contention for the win and changed the podium positions once again.
With both De Palo and Rivera affected by penalties, Maciej Gładysz was promoted to first place, taking his first Formula 3 Feature Race victory. The Polish driver benefited from the late drama and secured a major result in his rookie campaign, adding his name to the list of F3 race winners.
Home hero Freddie Slater was promoted to second place, giving the local fans something to celebrate, while championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu completed the podium in third. The result also allowed Ugochukwu to continue his strong championship campaign and maintain his position at the top of the standings.
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