Monaco F2: Runner-up Ghiotto disqualified from feature race

Ghiotto fought hard to take second on the road in Friday's race and claw back points on series leader Nicholas Latifi, who failed to score for the first time in 2019 with a 13th-place finish.

But after the race Ghiotto's Virtuosi Racing-run car was deemed to have rack stops - which hold the steering rack in place and prevent it from moving too much in case it damages parts internally - that were too thin.

Autosport understands there is no technical gain from the part.

Virtuosi Racing representatives provided data that they hoped would prove that part was worn down during the race after Ghiotto had hit a barrier, but officials excluded Ghiotto as the part was still in breach of the regulations, regardless of any incident in the race.

It means Ghiotto's 18 points are taken away and, instead of being eight points off the series lead, he is now 26 behind Latifi and 25 behind new second-place driver Nyck de Vries, who won the feature race.

A stewards' report read: "Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards make no judgement as to how the rack stops became thinner than specified in the technical regulations.

"The Stewards acknowledge that there is a possibility some damage occurred to the rack stops during Race 1.

"However, the fact remains that all concerned agree that the rack stops inspected in post-race scrutineering did not meet the specified thickness."

Ghiotto faces a double whammy as not only are his race-one points taken away, but he will also have to start race two at the back of the grid.

Arden's Renault Formula 1 junior Anthoine Hubert is promoted to pole position for Saturday's reversed-grid race as a result.

Hubert ran as high as fourth in the early going of the feature race, but a slow stop dropped him back in the pack. He finished ninth, but moves up a spot owing to Ghiotto's exclusion.

Carlin's Louis Deletraz had previously been in line for Saturday's pole after finishing eighth on the road.

Ghiotto's exclusion promotes DAMS's Sergio Sette Camara to the final podium position.