Series leader Ugo Ugochukwu has been disqualified from the second and third segments of qualifying earlier today for a technical breach relating to wishbone covers.
That means he will join Ryan Wood in the field for the start of tomorrow’s New Zealand Grand Prix, instead of lining up third.
That is unless the decision is appealed.
Due to the convoluted qualifying system the penalty doesn’t affect his Race 1 win from today, or the subsequent eighth place on the grid for tomorrow’s Race 2.
The grid for the Grand Prix was set by Q3 times hence the demotion for the main race.
Following’s today’s Race 1, Ugochukwu leads chief title rival Freddie Slater by 29 points.
Slater will start Race 2 from fifth and, with the penalties, the Grand Prix from fourth.
The genesis for Ugochukwu’s penalty was a suspension failure at the very end of Q1.
As part of the frantic repair the wishbone covers were left off his M2 Competition entry for the second and third segments of qualifying.
“The stewards, after hearing from the driver and team representative of car 4, have determined that during Q1 car 4 suffered front suspension failure and came into pit lane,” read the stewards report.
“Following repairs to the front suspension the car was released to take part in Q2. However, the wishbone covers were not re-fitted to the car.
“Post qualifying, the Technical Delegate submitted a report to the stewards informing the stewards that he had observed the car leaving pit lane without the covers being fitted.
“Article 10.4.5 of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Technical Regulations states that it is mandatory for the covers to be fitted at all times.
“Car 4 did not comply with this 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy technical regulation during Q2 of the qualifying session.
“Accordingly, car 4 is disqualified from Q2 and Q3.”
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