TRIDENT MISSILES

Shortly after Trident scored a 1-2-3 in the GP3 sprint race, its weekend was ruined by its colliding Formula 2 drivers, resulting in Santino Ferrucci being banned for four races and fined €66,000.

Ferrucci and team-mate Arjun Maini had collided in the feature race on Saturday, for which Ferrucci was penalised five seconds. On the cooldown lap after the sprint race on Sunday, Ferrucci drove into the left-rear of his stablemate after the pair had tangled again in the race. Ferrucci was fined €60,000 for driving into Maini, and a further €6000 for being seen holding a phone while driving his car between paddocks, without a glove on, both of which are in breach of the regulations.

Trident offered a short statement: “Trident intends to show their solidarity and support to Arjun Maini and his family, for the unsportsmanlike and above all uncivilized behaviour 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 apologise for the show that we have regretfully offered.”

Maini complained on the radio that fellow Haas F1 junior Ferrucci should be banned after he had hit his car.

Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner added: “I said I’m not going to deal with them today, because we have a race to go to. I’m going deal with them in the week so I will get more information.”

Ferrucci will miss the next two rounds in Hungary and Belgium due to the ban. Autosport was unable to contact Ferrucci for comment at the time of going to press.