A staggering eleven penalties were handed out during the F3 GP at Monza, with all title contenders being hit!
The drama in the Temple of Speed doesn’t seem to stop. The Formula 3 qualifying session at Monza saw a series of shocking penalties that reshuffled the starting grid. A total of eleven drivers from Group A were handed four-place grid penalties for violating the speed regulations between turns 6 and 7 of the iconic Monza circuit.
Among the penalized drivers are pole-sitter Leonardo Fornaroli from Trident, Gabriele Minì from PREMA, Joshua Dufek and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak from AIX Racing, FP leader Mari Boya, Noah Stromsted from Campos Racing, Luke Browning from Hitech Pulse-Eight, Piotr Wiśnicki from Rodin Motorsport, Noel León and Tommy Smith from Van Amersfoort Racing, and Max Esterson from Jenzer Motorsport. The stewards confirmed that these drivers deliberately slowed down, a typical Monza maneuver to catch a tow from another car, which led directly to the collision between Laurens van Hoepen and Kacper Sztuka.
The penalties have sparked significant attention, especially since all three title contenders—Fornaroli, Minì, and Browning—were affected. Fornaroli and Minì had secured first and second places in Group A, while Browning disappointed with a modest seventh-place finish.
Additionally, more penalties were issued: Christian Mansell received a three-place grid drop for impeding Dino Beganovic at turn 11 during Group B qualifying. ART’s Nikola Tsolov was also handed a three-place penalty for blocking Sophia Floersch between turns 10 and 11.
Lastly, Kacper Sztuka from MP Motorsport was given a five-place grid penalty for causing the collision with van Hoepen. After reviewing video evidence and hearing from team representatives, the stewards determined that Sztuka significantly slowed on the racing line, surprising van Hoepen and causing the crash.
Photo: Formula 3