Feature Race
FIA Formula2 2022
Round 13

Ayumu Iwasa finishes a stormy race in 3rd, only to face a regrettable disqualification after post-race scrutineering

it Autodromo Nazionale Monza

The Feature Race of the FIA Formula 2 Round 13 Italy took place on Sunday, 11 September. Ayumu Iwasa, who had qualified 7th, started from P7 in Row 4 of the grid.

Ayumu Iwasa finishes a stormy race in 3rd, only to face a regrettable disqualification after post-race scrutineering

The formation lap started at 10.19am, under dry conditions with an ambient temperature of 22°C and a track temperature of 28°C. This was 14 minutes later than scheduled due to a delay at the end of the previous F3 race. It was a rocky beginning because of a slow start from  the polesitter while Iwasa had moved up to 5th by the first corner after a good kick off.  There was a pile-up at the back of the field and the Safety Car was brought out on the first lap. When the race resumed on Lap 6, Iwasa, whose pace had not improved, was passed by a trailing car at Turn 1 and slipped down to 6th. Then, when he tried to overtake back at the Turn 4 chicane, he was forced to take a short cut. While he was trying to recover his position the car behind performed a surprise attack and he fell to 7th. On Lap 7, the Safety Car came on again due to an accident in the following pack. Iwasa reacted quickly and made a pit stop to change tyres, which allowed him to climb up the field. After three laps with the Safety Car leading the pack, the race was red flagged to allow the barriers to be repaired.

The race resumed on Lap 10 with the Safety Car leading the way, and with a rolling restart on Lap 11. At that time, Iwasa was running 4th but actually was 2nd, as the two cars in front had not pitted. However, Iwasa's pace did not improve, and he was soon passed by a car behind on the first corner, dropping to 5th position. As in the Sprint Race, Iwasa struggled with his car and the gap to the rivals ahead widened, with the car behind coming close to him. The race became difficult for him as he went into the final stages. Iwasa gradually regained his pace and desperately defended his position against pressure from the trailing car. As the leaders made pit stops on Laps 20 and 26, Iwasa moved up to 3rd and aimed to remain in that position until the end. After setting his best lap time on Lap 29 and holding his position, Iwasa completed the 30-lap race in 3rd place to finish on the podium back-to-back from the Feature Race in the previous round in the Netherlands.

However, during the post-race scrutineering, a violation was found on the floor of his car and Iwasa was disqualified.

Iwasa finished the Italian round with zero points and will enter the final round in 9th in the championship standings. The final round will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi from 18 to 20 November.


Ayumu Iwasa
Ayumu Iwasa 17
DAMS
It was a very difficult race as I had no speed in my car and had to defend myself all the time. However, I think it's a positive result that I did well strategically and finished the race in 3rd. Unfortunately, I was disqualified after the post-race scrutineering because the floor plank of the car wasn’t thick enough. The height of the car was down by 2mm yesterday, and it seems that the situation was the same in the Feature Race. These were probably the causes of my disqualification. Perhaps the crash in qualifying caused a problem with the monocoque and that's how this happened. We will check the detailed cause later.
Although the result is very disappointing, there are many positive aspects for the future races, so I will prepare well with the team for the final round. 



Published on