Abu Dhabi GP3: ART's Hubert handed five-second penalty in race one
ART Grand Prix driver Anthoine Hubert has been handed a post-event penalty after the first GP3 race in Abu Dhabi and has lost reverse-grid pole as a result
Hubert had five seconds added to his time and as a result also loses his significantly better starting spot compared to team-mate Nirei Fukuzumi, who he can still mathematically beat to third spot in the drivers' standings.
Hubert finished eighth in the first race - won by Arden International's outgoing Red Bull junior Niko Kari - and was set to start the second from first place in front of Dorian Boccolacci and Steijn Schothorst.
But following a post-race investigation into virtual safety car infringements during the 18-lap race, the stewards determined that he had failed to observe the 80km/h speed limit required during the neutralisation period.
"Car data determined that Hubert went back onto the throttle before using the speed limiter, in violation of the sporting regulations," read a GP3 statement.
Hubert drops to 11th in the race one standings as a result.
Trident's Ryan Tveter will now start race two from pole, and his team-mate Kevin Jorg and DAMS driver Bruno Baptista take the two and one points on offer for eighth and ninth in race one respectively.
Hubert's penalty means he will now start race two from 11th - four places ahead of Fukuzumi, who finished 15th and out of the points in race one after getting stuck on the grid when the lights went out and then lost his front wing in a collision with Giuliano Alesi.
While Mercedes Formula 1 junior driver George Russell has already wrapped up the 2017 GP3 title, Fukuzumi is also fighting Renault academy member Jack Aitken, who finished 14th in race one, for second in the standings, as well as defending from Hubert.
The three ART drivers go into tomorrow's finale separated by 23 points - Aitken on 140, Fukuzumi on 134 and Hubert on 117 - with a maximum of 17 points on offer.
Previous article
Niko Kari beats George Russell to Abu Dhabi GP3 race one victory
Next article
Boccolacci takes maiden GP3 win, Macau GP victor Ticktum third
How Campos Racing has bounced back from its devastating loss
After the sudden death of its founder in January, Formula 2 stalwart Campos Racing was left facing its hardest season to date. But new team boss Adrian Jr is determined to honour his father’s legacy and has returned the team to its winning ways
How F2 and F3's flawed format changes could prove shortlived
After a chaotic 2020, marred by the coronavirus pandemic, the FIA brought in radical changes to Formula 2 and 3. But less than 12 months later, there are talks of them being reversed after all did not go to plan…
How the latest 'son of' youngster found his feet in F3
After a promising start to his single-seater racing career, life in the Formula 1 feeder series gave Jack Doohan a reality check. But, following a year of learning and toiling, the driver with one of the most famous surnames on the Formula 3 grid isn’t feeling the weight of expectation pushing down too hard on him any longer
The Monaco win that started another triple crown
30 years ago, victory in the Monaco Grand Prix-supporting Formula 3 race – then a showpiece invitational event – began a young Jorg Muller’s pursuit of a unique set of street circuit wins that he’d later complete at Macau and Pau
How two F3 stars face new challenges from very different perspectives
ART Grand Prix team-mates Frederik Vesti and Juan Manuel Correa's paths to the 2021 FIA Formula 3 Championship grid couldn’t have been further apart, but both are using the same focus for different goals
Why Correa's return is the feelgood story racing needed
Juan Manuel Correa has had a long road to recovery from that horrific day at Spa in 2019. ART's decision to give him his race return in FIA Formula 3 in 2021 is a victory in itself, but his determination will surely - in time - have him fighting for bigger things
Why Piastri's F3 title was better than results suggested
F3 rookie Oscar Piastri only just snatched the 2020 title with Prema Racing, but the setbacks he overcame to do so suggest that Renault's next Australian talent is one destined for the top
The ground-effect wonder behind a generation of F1 stars
Recently named as Autosport's greatest single-seater, Ralt's RT3 launched a plethora of superstar drivers through the early 1980s, and established the constructor as the go-to place for your single-seater weapon
