Nikola Tsolov’s tough day in Baku got a little tougher. The Campos Racing driver has been given a three-place grid penalty for Feature Race 2 after a pit entry infringement in Feature Race 1.

The infringement

Having studied the video evidence, the stewards found that Tsolov crossed the white line at pit entry with his right-hand wheels by around one metre, a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 4(d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.

The normal sanction would have been a five-second time penalty. But Tsolov did not see the chequered flag – he was among the drivers eliminated in the Turn 3 incident that triggered the red flag – so the stewards converted it into a grid drop for the next race, saying they had opted for the lesser of the penalties in their guidelines.

Uphill task in the title fight

Tsolov will therefore line up 11th for Feature Race 2. The timing hurts: his Feature Race 1 retirement cost him the championship lead, and he now trails Rafael Câmara by a single point (182 to 181), with Alexander Dunne eight points off the top.

Driver: Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing, #6)
Offence: crossing the pit entry line in Feature Race 1
Original penalty: 5-second time penalty
Converted to: 3-place grid drop, as the driver retired
Feature Race 2 grid slot: 11th

Source: FIA Formula 2 official website (fiaformula2.com)