Formula 3 drivers praised a new rule allowing the stewards to delete a driver’s fastest lap time in qualifying if they cause a red flag, after it was used for the first time last week.
Championship contender Luke Browning’s fastest lap time was deleted after he spun into a barrier at turn 11. The session was suspended as a result which meant many other drivers were unable to complete their final laps.
F3 introduced a new rule this year which permits stewards to delete a driver’s fastest lap time in qualifying if they are judged to be “the sole cause of the issuance of a red flag during the qualifying practice session.” Browning’s lap time was deleted, as a result of which he fell from seventh in the session to 15th.
Nikita Bedrin said the rule creates fairer outcomes when drivers cause red flags which prevent others from completing their laps.
“The rule says now that it might get deleted if you cause the red flag,” he said. “I think it’s a good rule because if you have an engine failure or something like that out of your control [they] wouldn’t delete a lap.
“But for example Luke, who just crashed on his own, in my opinion it should be deleted because he compromised the laps of many drivers, including ours. So I think it’s much more of a fair rule now.”
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak also described the new rule as “fair”. The same rule has been introduced in F2 this year and some F1 drivers want to see similar regulations introduced to their series to prevent drivers intentionally causing red flags to thwart their rivals.
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Noel Leon believes F3’s rule should prevent that from happening. “I think it’s good to have the rule because sometimes some drivers can do a red flag so the other drivers don’t do a lap and then they get no lap and they qualify bad,” he said. “And in F3, if you don’t qualify inside the top 10, it’s really difficult to make a good weekend.
“So I think it’s a fair rule. Sometimes it’s not in your way, but it’s a good rule.”
The F3 stewards made it clear they did not believe Browning’s crash was anything other than a driving error. His rival Dino Beganovic, who was among the those who were unable to complete their laps because of the red flags, said that does not mean he should not be penalised.
“It’s a good rule,” said the Prema driver. “If you are pushing too much, and you cause a red flag, destroying, I would say quali…
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