GP2: Matsushita gets one-race ban for restart chaos

Honda protege Nobuharu Matsushita has been handed a one-round ban for causing the restart chaos in the GP2 sprint race in Baku.

The ART Grand Prix driver was involved in incidents at three different safety car restarts that came in quick succession while he was leading the race.

At the first, he accelerated out of Turn 16 and caught the safety car too soon, and at the second he accelerated and then braked again on the long pit straight, leading to collisions between other cars behind him and more at Turn 1.

He would then be eliminated from the race when he collided with a locked-up Raffaele Marciello on his inside at Turn 1 at the third and final restart.

For the first instance, Matsushita was found guilty of overtaking the safety car before the safety car line and driving "in an erratic manner, causing danger to other competitors."

He also committed that second offence at the second restart, as well as causing the collisions behind him.

Matsushita, who sits eighth in the standings, will be forced to miss the round at the Red Bull Ring.

Jimmy Eriksson has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the first race in Austria after being found at fault for contact with Jordan King at Turn 1 that ended the Swede's race.

Originally on Autosport.com