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Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the feeder series, the stewards decide to shake up the standings. Both F2 and F3 saw major DQs in their 2025 Austrian GP Feature Races. Alexander Dunne and Nikola Tsolov had their results excluded due to the same issue: plank thickness. Didn’t we see something just like this in F1 this season? Also involved, Laurens van Hoepen was excluded for tire pressure irregularities.
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F3: If You’re Not First, You’re Last
In the 2025 Austrian GP F3 Feature Race, Tsolov looked untouchable. He delivered a dominant victory that had everyone talking about a potential title run. That talk lasted only a few hours, then the stewards made a decision.
Post-race inspection revealed Tsolov’s car failed the mandatory plank thickness check. It measured just 3.7 mm at the required point, short of the 4 mm minimum. That’s all it took. His win was erased, and Martinius Stenshorne inherited the top step on the podium.
Markedly, Tsolov’s silence since the DQ speaks volumes. It drops him from second to third in the standings, potentially halts his momentum, and changes the narrative heading into the next round.
F3: Points Lost Over Tire Pressure
Laurens van Hoepen also faced the wrath of the stewards after the Feature Race. The ART Grand Prix driver was disqualified for having three tires with pressures below the mandated minimum. He had originally finished P9, securing solid points, but those evaporated after post-race inspection.
Not as headline-grabbing as the race winner being DQd, van Hoepen’s DQ is huge for him. Every point counts in F3, and this hit keeps him in thirteenth place in the championship table.
F2: Complete Reorder in the Championship
In the F2 Feature Race, Dunne thought he’d taken a crucial P2 finish and a major boost in the championship fight to stay ahead of Richard Verschoor. Instead, he found himself staring at a disqualification notice after the same infraction as Tsolov.
Dunne’s Rodin Motorsport machine showed excessive wear on the front plank, with thickness dipping as low as 3.27 mm in some places. He was subsequently excluded from the results. The ruling promoted American Jak Crawford to the podium and put Richard Verschoor firmly atop the F2 championship standings.
“Alex definitely didn’t make my life easy today… Any mistake would give him motivation to push even more,” Verschoor said post-race. “… So I tried to hang on… So yeah, it was a good race. Really happy.”
For Dunne, it’s a punch to the gut. He now sits 24 points behind Verschoor. With half the season gone, he’s now playing catch-up.
Additionally, John Bennett took a post-race time penalty for his collision with Sebastian Montoya at Turn 3. The stewards held a meeting with both drivers and their team representatives.
In the meeting, they examined available video evidence and ultimately determined Bennett’s actions were the cause of the incident. Dropping from P13 to P14 due to the 10-second penalty didn’t change Bennett’s championship standings as no points were in play.
Different Series, Same Message
Three disqualifications, two series, one clear message. The stewards aren’t playing games.
Whether it’s riding too low or utilizing underinflated tires, the technical regulations are there for a reason. Tsolov and Dunne pushed the limits on ride height and plank wear, van Hoepen couldn’t get his tire pressures up. In all three cases, the cars were non-compliant, and the penalties were enforced.
The DQs didn’t just strip away trophies, they blew open the title battles. Stenshorne and Verschoor walk away as the biggest winners this weekend. More than anything, though, the stewards sent a loud message across the paddock. The technical regs aren’t just suggestions.
“…the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event.”
2025 Forumla 3 Sporting & 2025 Formula 2 Technical Regulations
Moving On
As the series looks ahead to Silverstone next week, expect teams to go easy on ride heights, tire setups, and curb usage. The margin for error is thin, and now everyone knows just how costly a few tenths of a millimeter, or a few psi, can be.
Now that the championship fights are wide open, this weekend’s drama sets the tone for the rest of the season.
The Formula 3 season continues Friday, July 4th, at Silverstone at 8:45 a.m. local time for practice. Formula 2 follows at 10:00 a.m. local time.
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Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
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