Roberto Merhi has been disqualified from race one and banned from race two at the Red Bull Ring for his part in the post-chequered flag crash with Nicholas Latifi.
The Spanish Pons Racing driver appeared to slow significantly just metres after the chequered flag in race one, and was rear-ended by Arden Motorsport driver Latifi after the Canadian raced Tom Dillmann of Jagonya Ayam with Carlin to the line.
Both drivers walked away from the incident, though both cars suffered significant damage, but Merhi as called to the stewards post-race to answer why he performed a ‘dangerous manoeuvre’ so soon after seeing the chequered flag.
Merhi had finished fourth on the road, but had already been handed a ten-second time penalty for excessive track limits offences that would have seen him classified eleventh but for his disqualification.
The decision to exclude him from race two, where he was set to start from the front row of the grid for the first time in 2015, promotes race one winner Oliver Rowland to the front row alongside pole sitter Matthieu Vaxiviere.
