Dudukalo and Tarquini penalised for qualifying collisions

LADA Sport Lukoil driver Aleksei Dudukalo and Honda Racing Team JAS’s Gabriele Tarquini have both been given grid drops by the stewards for incidents in today’s qualifying session at Monza.

Tarquini was penalised for his contact with René Münnich at the end of Q1, which saw the German buried in the gravel trap. The Italian has subsequently been given a black and white flag in Q2 after making contact with James Nash’s bamboo-engineering Chevrolet.

Aleksei Dudukalo had locked up in Q1 and rammed into the side of team-mate James Thompson at the first corner. Thompson’s car was partly repaired and able to go out and qualify in ninth position, but both Ladas will require extensive repairs ahead of tomorrow’s races.

The penalties will see Dudukalo drop to 21st position for the first race, but will start from his qualifying position of 16th for race two.

Tarquini falls to tenth to race one, promoting James Nash to fifth, but will start from his reversed grid spot of sixth for race two.

The incident between Rob Huff and Fredy Barth was deemed as a racing incident, with no penalty issued.