The FIA Formula 2 Championship has come hard on Trident’s Santino Ferrucci following his antics during the Silverstone weekend against teammate Arjun Maini.
The American driver already had a penalty for his collision with Maini in the Saturday’s feature race for blocking him when the Indian tried a move around the outside. He was handed a five-second penalty for the incident.
In the sprint race on Sunday, they both were together again on the race track after a slow start from Maini allowed Ferrucci to get past in 14th on the opening lap. Since then, Maini was trying to get past his Haas stablemate.
He finally found the space to push through, but had another collision which the stewards put under investigation until after the race – Maini finished 13th with Ferrucci behind him. However, on the slow down lap, it was shown Ferrucci hitting the back of Maini.
The American driver had deliberately lined himself on the back of Maini’s car and touched Maini’s rear right with his front left before moving on. Maini, straightaway complained on the radio that he needs to be banned – which Ferrucci made fun of after the race.
Following the races, in an alarming situation, Ferrucci chose not to attend either of the hearing called by the stewards, thereby breaching multiple regulations which had forced the FIA to take strict action against the American driver.
As a result of which, Ferrucci has been banned for two F2 rounds in Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps with an additional fine of €60,000 levied on him. He was also disqualified from the sprint race result.
In another separate incident, he has been fined for €6000 where he was found to be on phone while wearing only gloves on the one race hand, while moving from the support paddock to the race pitlane in the F2 car, thereby violating the driver safety rule.
The full statement from F2 reads:
“Firstly, following his contact with Arjun Maini on the cooldown lap of the race, it was determined that Ferrucci deliberately drove into the rear of his teammate – breaching the Sporting Regulations. After the stewards had heard testimony from the team that this was a premeditated incident, Ferrucci was summoned to the hearing but declined to attend.
“As a consequence, the American driver has been suspended from the next two FIA Formula 2 Championship rounds – meaning he will not be permitted to participate in both Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps – and has also been given a fine of €60,000.
“In another incident with his teammate, Ferrucci was found to have deliberately forced Maini off of the road at Turn 4 after the Indian driver proceeded to make a pass for position. Once again, Ferrucci declined to attend the hearing, and has been disqualified from the results of the Sprint Race.
“Having also been observed transitioning from the support paddock to the race pitlane wearing just one glove and holding a phone in his hand by a Technical Delegate, Ferrucci also violated both the Technical and Sporting Regulations for incorrect driver safety equipment and the prohibition of wireless transmission devices within the car. For these transgressions, he has earned a further €6000 in fines.”
Following the calls made by the FIA, Trident has come out in full support of Maini and has seemingly sacked Ferrucci from the team for his ‘unsporting’ behavior not only in Silverstone but also in Red Bull Ring.
The team said: Trident intends to show their solidarity and support to Arjun Maini and his family, for the unsportsmanlike and above all uncivilized behavior that he was forced to endure not only during this last weekend by Santino Ferrucci and father, who accompanied him.
“The contractual implications of what has happened will be dealt with by our lawyers. Never in these 12 years of sporting activity has anything even close to this ever occurred. We apologize for the show that we have regretfully offered.”
