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Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi has been penalised following the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race at Monza after the Stewards found that his driving breached the championship’s sporting regulations.
The Thai driver was alleged to have driven erratically during the race. The incident was subsequently reviewed by the Stewards, who examined CCTV video evidence and heard from both Bhirombhakdi and a representative of the DAMS Lucas Oil team.
Their investigation concluded that Car 30 had travelled on track in the opposite direction while another car was approaching in the correct direction of travel. The incident occurred at Turns 1 and 2, where the two cars were therefore moving in conflicting directions.
The Stewards determined that the conduct constituted a breach of Article 27.4 of the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations. The original sporting sanction was a 10-second stop-and-go penalty.
Because the decision was made after the chequered flag, the stop-and-go was converted into a 30-second time penalty for classification purposes. The adjustment was then added to Bhirombhakdi’s finishing time.
The penalty changes his position in the final results from 18th to 23rd. It therefore has a direct impact on the official Monza Feature Race classification, despite the driver having initially been recorded in 18th place.
The decision adds a post-race change to a weekend already marked by significant Formula 3 activity at Monza. Nicola Lacorte’s Feature Race victory for DAMS Lucas Oil remains the headline result, while the Stewards’ ruling provides a further update to the final order.
Bhirombhakdi’s revised result is now 23rd, following the additional 30 seconds applied by the Stewards. The penalty was imposed specifically for driving in the opposite direction of travel while another car approached correctly at Turns 1 and 2.
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