GP2: VSC infringement costs Markelov fifth place

Artem Markelov has lost his fifth place finish in the Monza GP2 sprint race due to a virtual safety car infringement.

Both the Russian Time driver and DAMS's Nicolas Latifi  – who came home eighth  – were given 20-second penalties in lieu of drivethroughs.

Stewards judged both had reacted too slowly when a virtual safety car period was called early on following the first-lap collisions that eliminated Mitch Evans and Luca Ghiotto.

"They both took more than four seconds to completely remove the pressure from the throttle pedal," said a GP2 statement.

Markelov falls back to 10th as a result, with Latifi down to 15th. That elevates Alex Lynn and Nobuharu Matsushita into the top six, with Gustav Malja – himself carrying a time penalty for taking Evans out – and Marvin Kirchhofer now seventh and eighth.

Originally on Autosport.com