Spanish driver Mari Boya is set to make his F3 debut for MP Motorsport this season
The 2023 F3 season hasn’t even started yet but the penalties have begun to come through. Rookie driver Mari Boya’s coach Facu Regalia has been penalised by the stewards for being on track during the high speed track test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. MP Motorsport will have to pay 1000 Euros to FIA within 48 hours to avoid further escalations.
It is not the ideal start for Boya who is set to make his F3 debut for MP Motorsport this season. Boya was crowned the Spanish F4 Vice-Champion in 2020 and the 18-year-old is considered to be one of the bright prospects in the sport. The 2023 F3 season is scheduled to begin in Bahrain with the Sprint Race on March 4 followed by the Featured Race on March 5. There will be a total of ten rounds, featuring 20 races over the course of the new Formula 3 season.
The governing body of F1, FIA have made stricter regulations at all levels of motorsport and they are already in effect. Besides penalty points, F1 drivers can now be banned from races or face penalties depending on various other offences. In its latest update, the FIA has banned all drivers across levels including F1, from making any non-neutral “political, religious or personal” statements or comments without prior permission. The new regulation has been updated in FIA’s International Sporting Code.
The recently updated version of the rule book states: “Drivers will be deemed to have committed a breach of the rules if they show the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction.” The decision from FIA comes after a number of controversial gestures from F1 drivers over political issues in the last few years. Such strict regulations indicate that we might get to see frequent penalties at all levels under the FIA umbrella.
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