The Hitech driver, Martinius Stenshorne, who competes in the FIA Formula 3, has been banned from participating in this year’s Silverstone round of the championship. This ban comes after Stenshorne took part in the national GB3 series at the same circuit last month. He participated in the GB3 test on April 25 and 26, and also competed in a round of the series at Silverstone the following weekend with Chris Dittmann Racing team. Neither Stenshorne’s team nor the FIA were aware of his plans to participate in the GB3 series.
The governing body, in response to Stenshorne’s actions, released a detailed statement explaining that he violated article 10.4 of the Formula 3 Sporting Regulations. This rule states that no driver entered in the championship can be involved in any activity on any track with a single-seater car that has a power-to-weight ratio lower than 2.0 kg/bhp. Furthermore, article ‘e’ of the regulation specifies that participation in an independent event must be explicitly approved in writing by the FIA and the promoter.
To address the situation, a hearing was held with Stenshorne, representatives from Hitech, the FIA, and the F3 promoter. It was found that everyone, except Stenshorne and his management team, were aware of his participation in the GB3 series. Therefore, he did not properly inform the FIA of his intention to compete in the series.
After careful consideration, the stewards concluded that both the driver and the team failed to comply with the regulations. They did not inform the FIA and the promoter about the test with the single-seater car, as required by Article 10.4. Furthermore, they did not seek written authorization for Stenshorne’s participation in the independent GB3 event, as required by Article 10.4 (e). The stewards also noted that, had they received a request for Stenshorne’s car to participate in the independent race at Silverstone, they would have denied it due to the similarities between the GB3 car and the F3 car, which would have given the driver a sporting advantage.
Consequently, the stewards considered this a serious violation of the testing regulations, resulting in a sporting advantage for Stenshorne. As a consequence, he has been suspended from participating in the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Silverstone Event. Additionally, four penalty points will be added to his driving record.
This news of Stenshorne’s ban at Silverstone comes shortly after McLaren announced that he has joined their Formula 1 Driver Development Program. Unfortunately, Stenshorne now has an unnecessary and easily avoidable blemish on his record.
