Sunday’s race was set to be 24 laps but will now run for 19 after a report from Pirelli recommended that the distance was shortened due to the level of tyre wear experienced in Saturday’s sprint race.
Some drivers complained of excessive wear on the medium compound, with second-place finisher Nikita Bedrin saying “mid-race the tyres started to die.”
Race winner Gabriele Mini said: "At the end we were running more or less five or six seconds slower than the beginning, so you can imagine degradation was really high and it was all about just driving until the end."
On Saturday evening, it was confirmed that the race would be shortened to either a total of 19 laps or 45 minutes plus one lap.
The stewards said: “The Stewards after receiving a report from the official tyre supplier recommending that the FIA Formula 3 Race 2 be limited to no more than 19 laps due to a level of wear experienced during Race 1.
“Having considered the matter extensively and after consultation with the Race Director and Technical Delegate, decide to modify the length of Race 2 to 19 laps for safety reasons, in accordance with Article 5.3 of the FIA F3 Sporting Regulations and under the power granted to them under Articles 11.9.3. b) and 11.9.3. o) of the 2023 FIA International Sporting Code.
“The Stewards requests the Event promoter to take note of the new number of laps and to issue a new timetable.”
Several drivers received post-race penalties after Saturday’s sprint race, with all three Van Amersfoort Racing runners penalised after the team continued to work on the tyres beyond the specified time limit for them to be returned to parc ferme.
Caio Collet, Tommy Smith and Rafael Villagomez will serve five-place grid penalties in the next race in which they compete.
Source: Autosport