Kanato Le disqualified from F3 Sprint Race as Bhirombhakdi receives penalty

Post-race rulings reshape the FIA F3 Sprint Race order

The FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race classification has been revised after two separate post-race decisions, with Kanato Le disqualified from the results and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi handed a 10-second time penalty.

Following a review, officials determined that Car 12 was 3.0kg below the minimum weight defined by the regulations. That breach led to Le’s exclusion from the Sprint Race result, a decision that directly reshuffled the lower end of the points-paying positions.

Le exclusion promotes rivals into stronger positions

Le’s disqualification means every driver classified behind him moves up one place in the final order. The most notable beneficiary is Tuukka Taponen, who is promoted to P6.

Further back, the adjustment also moves Bruno del Pino into the final points position, with del Pino now classified 10th. In a championship where Sprint Race points can prove valuable, the consequences of a technical infringement are rarely limited to the driver penalised; they ripple through the order and alter the reward for those who stayed within the final classification.

Bhirombhakdi penalised for defensive driving

A second stewards’ decision affected Bhirombhakdi, who received a 10-second time penalty for his defensive driving against Car 27, driven by Yevan David.

After the session, the Stewards heard from both drivers and their team representatives, while also reviewing video evidence. They concluded that Bhirombhakdi had weaved six times on the straight between Turn 3 and Turn 4 while defending from David.

The Stewards also found that, when returning to the racing line at Turn 4, Bhirombhakdi did not leave enough racing room for David. As a result, the 10-second penalty was applied to his race time.

That sanction drops Bhirombhakdi from P25 to P27 in the final Sprint Race classification, completing a pair of post-race rulings that materially changed the official result after the chequered flag.