A five-second time penalty applied during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix stripped Alex Dunne of his second Formula 2 triumph of the season.
Rafael Camara, driving for Ferrari Academy, crossed the finish line ahead of Dunne to secure the race victory.
The Irish driver had taken the lead early in the feature race on Friday but was penalised for crossing the white line marking the entry to the pit lane while changing tyres mid-race.
This error occurred after Dunne had dominated the opening session and secured third place in the sprint race earlier that day.
Camara, a 20-year-old from Brazil, emerged from Baku with a seven-point advantage over his main title challenger, Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov.
Tsolov, who had crashed out of the feature race on Friday, recovered strongly to finish ahead of Dunne in the final order.
The penalty meant Dunne could not maintain his position at the front as Camara pulled away during the closing stages of the event.
Although the third-place result kept Dunne firmly within contention for the championship, he now trails Camara by 18 points in the overall standings.
Uncertainty remains regarding the conclusion to the Formula 2 season due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The final two rounds scheduled for Qatar and Abu Dhabi in November and December are currently at risk of being cancelled as support events for Formula 1.
Imola in Italy has been identified as a potential replacement venue should the remaining calendar races not proceed as planned.
Dunne remains one of several drivers competing for the title, with Tsolov also positioned closely behind Camara in the points table.
The incident highlights the strict enforcement of track limits and safety regulations throughout the championship this year.