Nobuharu Matsushita𓄧 has been given a one-race ban as punishment for 'driving in an erratic manner' during the GP2 Series sprint race.

The Japanese driver,𒊎 a winner last time out in🍎 Monaco, was leading in the Baku sprint race when he twice misjudged safety car restarts, causing carnage behind him as the field reacted.

Having very nearly been caught out by accelerating too early and catching the safety car on the first restart, it was the r꧂estart after a second safety period that landed M𓆏atsushita in trouble.

With Matsushita dictating the pace and seemingly keen to avoid a repeat of his first safety car misdemeanour, he slowed rღight down, only to apparently speed up before unexpectedly braking whilst weaving again.

With the drivers behind taking the cue to speed up as his final move, the field surged forward only to have to react to the Japanese driver's unfathomable deceleration. With caꦉrs scattering behind him, causing plenty of contact, the disparate speeds on the run to turn one would prompt a pile up that would eliminate Evans, Sean Gelael and Gustav Malja, while Rowland was tipped 🥃into a spin.

Reprimanded for 'causing danger to other drivers', the ART Grand Prix driver ꦫwill not be allowed to compete at the next GP2 race in Austria.

"Following today's Sprint Race at Baku, Nobuharu Matsushita was found guilty of ♎driving in an erratic manner, causing d🐬anger to other drivers during the Safety Car period," read an official statement.

"At the end of the first period, it was found that the Japanese driver overtook the SC before the Safety Car line and drove in an erratic manner, causing danger t🔯o other competitors.

"At the end of the second period, Matsushita was found guilty of driving in an erratic manner, accelerating and braking, a💫gain causing danger to other competitors and causing several collisions to cars following him.

"As a consequence, the ART Grand Prix dr⭕iver will ൲be suspended for the next round at Spielberg."