Turvey loses race two front row

The Briton, who is filling in for Mikhail Aleshin this weekend as the Russian struggles with budget and the hand injury he sustained in Turkey, was deemed to have jumped the start in Friday's race.

He was issued with a drive-through penalty, but did not come in to serve it because his radio was not working during the race.

The penalty was then applied by the stewards post-race by adding 25 seconds onto Turvey's race time. That dropped him from seventh, and second on the grid for the reversed grid race, to 14th.

"My radio wasn't working for the whole race, so it's unfortunate," Turvey told AUTOSPORT. "I even had to decide for myself when to make my [mandatory] pitstop, and I was lucky that the guys were ready for me to come in whenever.

"It's a shame to get the penalty, but I'm still pleased with our performance here. I'm not going for the championship so it's not a big loss, but it would have been nice to start on the front row in Monaco."

Turvey's penalty promotes Barcelona race one winner Charles Pic to eighth, and the Frenchman will share the front row with the other Carlin car of Max Chilton.

Sam Bird has also been penalised by the stewards. The iSport driver has been put back five places on the grid for race two for causing a collision with his team-mate Marcus Ericsson when he tried to pass the Swede into the final corner. It means the race one polesitter will start Saturday's sprint race from 23rd.