McLaren and Their Appeal Against Gasly’s Podium

McLaren has decided to take the battle to the sporting courts, the British team filed a formal notice of appeal with the FIA after Pierre Gasly was reinstated to third place in the Monaco Grand Prix, a decision that benefited Alpine and directly harmed Oscar Piastri, who lost the position he had gained after the initial penalties to the Frenchman. The Woking team considers that the case sets a dangerous precedent for the consistency of the regulations.

The conflict originated when Gasly crossed the line in third place in Monaco, but was relegated to seventh place by two five second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Alpine requested a Right of Review and presented new evidence, including an inaccuracy in the measurement of the distance used to calculate speed, which led the stewards to overturn the sanctions and return the Frenchman to his original podium.

McLaren argues in its appeal that the stewards' decision creates an unfair situation for teams that acted according to the rules at the time of the penalties: "Throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, all teams operated according to the regulations and standard practices established regarding the pit lane speed limit as applied at the time. The subsequent removal of the penalties creates a situation in which some competitors are harmed for having acted according to the rules and the stewards' decisions" states McLaren's official statement.

The British team insists that its decision to appeal is not directed against any particular competitor, but rather reflects its conviction that the championship benefits from rules that are applied consistently, transparently and fairly for all participants. "We believe that this case raises important questions about sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition" McLaren states in its communication.

Oscar Piastri, who had moved up to fifth place after Gasly's initial penalty, was relegated back to sixth position after the Frenchman recovered his podium, a loss of points that McLaren considers unfair because the Australian served his own penalty during the race and had no option to benefit from the subsequent review: "This result risks creating a sporting inequity and undermining confidence in the consistent application of the FIA Sporting Regulations" concludes the Woking team.

The case will now be examined by the FIA International Court of Appeal, which must decide whether the stewards' decision was correct or whether the classification should be returned to its original state. McLaren trusts that its appeal will succeed and that sporting justice will be restored in a case that has generated intense debate in the paddock.