Engine hiccup could cost Bruni win

The Italian put in a storming drive to take his first series win, ahead of German Andre Lotterer. But the result has been protested by Lotterer's Jaguar team, because it is thought that the necessary homologation paperwork has not been completed.

The Jaguar junior squad has put in an appeal on behalf of Neil Brown, who builds the benchmark Mugen-Honda F3 engine. Brown found out about the Renault situation at a meeting of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, last week.

Fortec is one of the few team's using Renault engines in British F3, but while rivals in the French series use the Laguna-based engine, Fortec and fellow British team Menu Motorsport use a Megane-based powerplpant.

French engine builder Sodemo is responsible for both engines and must provide the necessary paperwork to satisfy FIA criteria. If it is unable to do so, Bruni could lose his result, promoting Lotterer up to first place.

"I'm sure Renault and Sodemo are professional enough to have their house in order to sort out the homologation of an engine," Fortec team manager David Hayle told this week's Autosport magazine.

News of Jaguar's appeal was met with an amount of disapproval in the F3 paddock as such matters are usually sorted out among the teams. The necessary papers are currently being sent from the FIA to Formula 3 governing body FOTA and the outcome of the enquiry is expected with in the few weeks.