Nicola Lacorte's Melbourne Feature Race nightmare deepened further following the race conclusion, when the FIA Formula 3 Stewards handed down an additional 10-second time penalty for a technical regulation breach. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver, who was already dealing with multiple incidents during the 23-lap encounter at Albert Park, had his final classification adjusted downward from P19 to P25 due to the penalty.
The infraction specifically involved Car 29's failure to activate the start set-up procedure, a critical technical requirement outlined in Article 37.6 of the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations. The Technical Delegate's report prompted the Stewards to formally review the matter, hearing evidence from both Lacorte and his team representative before determining the breach had occurred and assigning the subsequent penalty.
A race marred by chaos and collisions
Lacorte's afternoon at the Albert Park circuit had already been tumultuous even before the post-race penalty was applied. During the feature race, the DAMS driver encountered multiple difficulties that exemplified his challenging spell in the series. He struggled notably during the formation lap, with hesitation while launching from his grid slot that briefly disrupted the field behind him.
Once the race commenced, Lacorte was thrust into the thick of the action, engaging in a fierce battle for the middle-order positions. He collided with Brando Badoer around the midpoint of the race, causing the Rodin driver to spin, though Badoer managed to continue from 12th place. Later, another collision with Noah Stromsted proved far more damaging, as Lacorte lost part of his front wing in the incident. The stewards issued him a five-second penalty for the collision, compounding his frustration.
Compounding an already difficult season
This Melbourne penalty arrives as part of a broader pattern of disciplinary troubles for the Italian junior. Just weeks prior, Lacorte had endured a catastrophic period at the Monaco and Spain rounds, accumulating 18 penalty points in a single week—a staggering tally that triggered an automatic event ban for the Red Bull Ring round in Austria. That unprecedented accumulation resulted from violations including ignoring a black flag, multiple collision penalties, and speeding under safety car conditions.
The Melbourne technical breach underscores the mounting pressure facing the Alpine F1 Academy junior. Whether it represents a mechanical oversight, communication breakdown with his team, or procedural confusion, the penalty highlights growing consistency issues that have plagued his campaign.
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