Ben Barnicoat has been excluded from the results of the final FIA European Formula 3 Championship race of the Norisring after the floor of his Hitech GP car was found to contravene the technical regulations.
The front-left corner of the floor was deemed to be lower than the regulations allow, and the Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver has therefore seen his ninth place finish in race three removed from the record books.
It was even more of a disappointment for Barnicoat after the team had replaced the floor overnight after the original was damaged when he hit the wall hard after being pitched into a spin by Ryan Tveter.
“It is just the front left corner of his floor, a little bit disappointing but rules are rules,” said Hitech GP director Oliver Oakes to Autosport. “Given the circumstances it is a bit of a nightmare.
“It was another floor we had fitted; it wasn’t the same floor [as the one involved in the race two crash]. I don’t want to blame people in this situation, it is just a bit annoying as we did go on the patch in the early hours of the morning and it was fine.
“Until we get back to the workshop and analyse everything I can’t say much more.”
Barnicoat’s exclusion promotes Ralf Aron of Prema Powerteam to ninth, while Harrison Newey moves into the points for Van Amersfoort Racing in tenth.
