European F3 Spa: Fittipaldi and MacLeod excluded from qualifying
Sam MacLeod and Pietro Fittipaldi have lost their third-row starting positions for the second and third races of the Formula 3 European Championship round at Spa
MacLeod's Motopark Dallara-Volkswagen and Fittipaldi's Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes were both excluded from the session after failing scrutineering, and the drivers will have to start both races from the back of the grid.
MacLeod's car failed the vacuum test, concerning the control of airflow to the engine.
"I think there was a crack in the airbox," he said, "and because of the cold conditions it got worse and worse, although there was definitely no performance advantage."
Fittipaldi's car did not yield the required 1kg of fuel for a sample.
Fortec team manager Trevor Foster explained: "It's nothing we could put our finger on other than a build-up of margins - unfortunately we were just a bit too marginal on our call on fuel."
This was possibly exacerbated due to the extended wait before qualifying started due to stoppages in preceding sessions, as well as the first red flag of the F3 session.
"We were sitting around and there was one too many fire-ups," continued Foster. "They got enough fuel out to do a sample, but the regulations state they must be able to draw out a kilo.
"The car wasn't underweight, even when drained of fuel, but we've got to take it on the chin."
Previous article
Spa Euro F3: Jensen and Dennis claim poles for races two and three
Next article
Red Bull Ring GP3: Luca Ghiotto takes second straight pole position
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
