Niko Kari will be forced to start from the pit lane during the first race of the Pau Grand Prix weekend after the Finn was found guilty of unsporting behaviour in an incident following Sunday’s final FIA European Formula 3 Championship race at the Hungaroring.
The sixteen-year-old Motopark driver drove into the car of Brazilian Pedro Piquet after the chequered flag as a retaliation to a move by the Van Amersfoort Racing move during the race that saw Kari lose three positions.
Kari has been handed two penalty points on his licence as well as the pit lane penalty for Pau, and was the second driver this weekend to be punished for an incident involving Piquet.
Nikita Mazepin was handed a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s final race and two points on his own licence after hitting the Brazilian during Saturday’s second race.
Kari also was punished for an incident in race two, losing two places on the grid and having one point on his licence for a turn one clash with Nick Cassidy.
“He apologised for it – emotions got the better of him,” said Motopark boss Timo Rumpfkeil after the race. “He’s not normally that kind of driver.”
