Alpine successfully had Gasly’s two five-second pit lane speeding penalties removed through a right of review last Friday, restoring him to third place.
The Frenchman had originally crossed the line third in Monaco before the penalties dropped him to seventh, promoting Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to what would have been his first Formula 1 podium for Red Bull.
However, Alpine’s case centred on new evidence from Formula One Management, which acknowledged an error in the pit lane distance measurement used to calculate speeds at Monaco.
That led stewards to remove Gasly’s penalties and revise the final classification, restoring the Alpine driver to third and dropping Hadjar, Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad back to fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.
McLaren has now confirmed it has lodged a notification of appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal in a statement released overnight.
“McLaren Racing can confirm that it has formally lodged a notification of appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal regarding the following decisions related to the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix: Stewards Document 99; Revised Final Race Classification Document 100; Revised Championship Points Document 101,” the team said.
Click here now.
According to Autosport, Red Bull has also proceeded with its own appeal after initially signalling its intention to challenge the decision, although the team is yet to publicly comment.
The dispute has created a wider sporting fairness issue, with several drivers penalised for the same pit lane speeding offence during the race having already served their penalties before the chequered flag.
Piastri was among those affected, with the McLaren driver serving a five-second penalty during the race before ultimately finishing fifth.
George Russell was also hit hard by the Monaco drama, with the Mercedes driver receiving a five-second penalty before later being given a drive-through for failing to serve it correctly, dropping him out of the points after he had been running in podium contention.
McLaren said its appeal is based on the argument that teams operated according to the regulations and stewarding decisions in place during the race, with some competitors accepting penalties that could not later be reversed in the same way as Gasly’s post-race sanction.
“While we fully respect the FIA’s judicial processes and the role of the Stewards, we believe this case raises important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition,” McLaren said.
“Throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend – and in every event – all teams operated according to the regulations and established standard practices for what concerns the speed limit in the pit lane as they were applied at the time.
“Competitors adjusted their procedures accordingly and, where required, accepted and served penalties imposed under those regulations.
“In our view, the subsequent removal of penalties creates a situation in which some competitors are disadvantaged by having acted in accordance with the rules and the Stewards’ decisions.
“Such an outcome risks creating sporting inequity and undermining confidence in the consistent application of the FIA Sporting Regulations.
“Our decision to appeal is not directed at any competitor. Rather, it reflects our belief that the Championship benefits from regulations that are applied consistently, transparently and fairly to all participants.
“McLaren remains committed to working constructively with the FIA, Formula One and fellow competitors to protect the integrity of the sport and maintain confidence in its regulatory framework.”
Piastri had already expressed his frustration over the decision during the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend, arguing the situation had left F1 in a difficult position given the number of drivers impacted by the same measurement issue.
“I’m pretty mind-blown by the decision,” Piastri said.
“When other people have been penalised for the same thing and served a penalty in the race, how you can then change one penalty, knowing that at least five or six other racers have been impacted by that, is astonishing.
“I’ve obviously lost the position, but I can only imagine how George is feeling. I could not believe my eyes.”
Mercedes has also moved to protect its position, initiating its own right of review process over Russell’s result.
Team principal Toto Wolff said the team wanted to ensure it was involved in any further discussions over the matter, while conceding there was no guarantee of a changed outcome.
The case will now be heard by the FIA International Court of Appeal at a yet-to-be-announced date.
Discussion about this post