Penalties Imposed on Drivers Following Barcelona FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race
Following the conclusion of the FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race in Barcelona, two drivers faced penalties due to incidents during the race. Tim Tramnitz from MP Motorsport received a three-place grid penalty for causing contact with another car at the start. Ugo Ugochukwu of PREMA Racing was penalized with an additional 10 seconds to his race time after leaving the circuit and rejoining in a manner that provided an unfair advantage. Both decisions were made based on thorough investigations involving video evidence and statements from the drivers and their teams.
Tim Tramnitz's Grid Penalty Explained
MP Motorsport driver Tim Tramnitz encountered a setback when he was handed a three-place grid penalty following the Barcelona Sprint Race. The incident occurred at the beginning of the race when Tramnitz's vehicle came into contact with Martinius Stenshorne's Hitech TGR car, leading to a subsequent collision involving Roman Bilinski's Rodin Motorsport car. Post-race analysis revealed that Tramnitz failed to secure proper positioning for an overtaking maneuver, resulting in the accidents.
The stewards meticulously reviewed the situation by consulting video footage and hearing testimonies from both Stenshorne and Tramnitz, as well as their respective team representatives. It was determined that Car 17 bore full responsibility for the mishap. Tramnitz did not establish sufficient lead with his front axle over Car 14 at the apex of Turn 1, disqualifying him from claiming racing room into Turn 2. Although the presence of another car through Turns 1 and 2 was noted as a mitigating factor, it did not absolve Tramnitz from liability. Consequently, the stewards decided upon a three-place grid penalty, which will be enforced in the Barcelona Feature Race.
Ugo Ugochukwu's Time Penalty Details
PREMA Racing's Ugo Ugochukwu also faced repercussions for an infraction during the sprint race. He was issued a 10-second time penalty after leaving the track and rejoining in a way that granted him an enduring advantage. This action contravened Article 27.3 of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations, which governs such situations.
A detailed investigation followed, wherein the stewards analyzed video evidence and conferred with Ugochukwu and his team representative. It was confirmed that Ugochukwu exited the track at Turn 2 and rejoined at Turn 3 via the designated route as outlined in the Race Director’s Event Notes. During this process, he overtook several competitors but only relinquished one position to Mari Boya. Failing to restore positions to Christian Ho and Charlie Wurz resulted in an unfair gain. Thus, the stewards imposed the standard 10-second penalty, moving Ugochukwu from 17th to 22nd place in the race standings. Each driver finishing behind him advanced one position accordingly.