Tyson, Briton fined for AF3 race infractions

Asian Formula Three star Tyson Sy’s death-defying crash in the last round of the series last month at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China continues to haunt him.

Aside from coughing up nearly P2 million, not P1 million as earlier reported, to rebuild his Dallara 304 nearly smashed to pieces when he slammed into Speedtech Asia teammate Gaby dela Merced’s stalled car, Sy will have to shell out an additional $2,000 as fine for "disregarding the double yellow flag" in effect during lap 8 of the 12-lap race.

The same fine has been slapped on Briton Dillon Battistini of JA Motorsports whose blocking maneuver on Sy in that fateful lap of Round 5 forced the 18-year-old Filipino racing star to swerve to his right onto Dela Merced’s car that had stalled in front of the grandstand a lap earlier.

The Hong Kong Automobile Association, one of the bodies that has jurisdiction over the race, had initially wanted to fine the two $5,000 each and their points earned in the race — 12 for Sy (third) and 15 for Battistini (second) — be excluded from the standings.

The two, however, appealed to the Automobile Association of the Philippines, the body sanctioning the AF3 races, and got a reprieve.

Jun Espino, a member of the committee on motor sports of the AAP, yesterday said the two were fined for "disregarding the double yellow flag during the race because of unsafe racing conditions.

"When a yellow flag is being waved by race marshals, this means the drivers must slow down and be ready to stop, if the need arises. However, after a thorough review of the tapes of the race, it was very clear that Tyson and Dillon had no intention to slow down."

Instead, they even went faster," said Espino, also a member of the three-man board of stewards supervising the race.

The reprieve on the points earned during Round 5 means Sy will go into Round 6 with his series-leading 87 points and 21-point lead over Battistini intact. The Briton, meanwhile, continues to enjoy a four-point lead over Filipino Dado Pena of Team Goddard and Irishman Ali Jackson of Aran Racing who are tied for third and fourth places with 52 points each.