Pierre Gasly loses Monaco podium for second time after appeal
Five drivers served erroneous speeding penalties in Monaco after Formula One failed to measure the length of the pit lane accurately.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly has been stripped of his Monaco Grand Prix podium for a second time.
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The Alpine driver finished third at the round in Monte Carlo in June only to be hit with two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane.
The sanctions dropped him to seventh – elevating Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to third. Alpine appealed the post-race punishment and Gasly was reinstated.
However, that decision has now been undone following appeals by Hadjar’s Red Bull team and McLaren. Oscar Piastri, who served his pit-lane penalty for speeding during the race, reclaims fourth.
“The team expresses its disappointment and frustration with the outcome reached by the FIA International Court of Appeal relating to the result of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix,” said Alpine in a statement.
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“While we disagree with the decision, and still fully maintain that Car #10 (Gasly) did not exceed the pit-lane speed limit at any point during the race, the team acknowledges the decision of the judging panel from the recent hearing in Paris.
“While the result is not what we had hoped for, as we feel that we have been unjustly punished, the team is firmly focused on continuing to improve its performance on track and remains in a close and very competitive championship fight.”
Five drivers – including championship contender George Russell – served erroneous speeding penalties in Monaco after Formula One failed to measure the length of the pit lane accurately.
The penalty saw Russell drop out of the points. He heads into Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix 59 points behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Flavio Briatore accused a “nasty” FIA judge of having a “working relationship” with McLaren in an extraordinary outburst against the British team on the eve of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
The controversial Briatore – who had a lifetime Formula One ban overturned for fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix – arrived for Friday’s team representative press conference armed with an A4 piece of paper.
Filippo Marchino was among one of four judges overseeing the case. But Briatore suggested the American-Italian lawyer was in cahoots with McLaren.
He alleged the British team has previously provided an international non-profit organisation, One Drop Foundation, of which Marchino serves as a director, with “two or three McLaren cars”.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described Briatore’s accusations as “insulting”, “disrespectful”, and warned he will have to “take responsibility” for his remarks.
“It is very unfair, but we accept the decision,” said Alpine chief Briatore. “But what is very strange was the fourth judge in the panel. One of the judges acted like a prosecutor.
“This is not a big problem. The problem is that it is very linked with the McLaren company. We have a nice picture of this guy (Marchino) at a speech for McLaren in 2018 in Beverly Hills.
“He made a foundation. It’s called One Drop Foundation. And McLaren gave two or three McLaren cars. So, what is unfair is that some judge was linked with one of the teams that is fighting us.
“The judge normally needs to be independent completely. Filippo Marchino is a judge and he was very nasty during the hearing. And afterwards we found out why this guy was so nasty, he is linked with McLaren.
“The judge has to be independent and not somebody doing a speech for McLaren, and somebody using the McLaren car in the charity. To find out the judge had a very good relationship – a working relationship – with McLaren was very disappointing.”
In response, Stella, sitting to Briatore’s left, fired back: “I find that this conference going in this direction is quite insulting for McLaren, for the reputation of a team that deserves a lot of respect.
“And if anybody makes these kinds of allegations – which seem quite serious – they are going to have to take the responsibility for what they are saying in a public forum.
“The hearing, the whole International Court of Appeal, was conducted to the highest standards, and we should not question this space like it’s been done.”
FIA has been contacted for comment.