Monaco Podium Case: FIA Appeal Court Strips Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Reinstates Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to Third Place

Formula One’s governing body on Friday reinstated Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to third place at last June’s Monaco Grand Prix and demoted Alpine’s Pierre Gasly for the second time. Gasly finished third on track on June 7 but was demoted to seventh when two five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding were applied post-race, with fellow Frenchman Hadjar promoted to third.

FIA Overturns Decision

That decision was overturned after a right to review on June 12, stewards accepting Renault-owned Alpine’s evidence that there had been a timekeeping error. The FIA’s International Court of Appeal then met last month to hear a McLaren and Red Bull challenge, with the verdict issued ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

Renault-owned Alpine said they were disappointed and frustrated with the outcome and felt they had been “unjustly punished”.

“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,” they said in a statement.

What is the Consequence?

The decision will also affect other teams and drivers with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri moving back up to fourth while New Zealand’s Liam Lawson, who was with Racing Bulls at the time, returning to fifth and teammate Arvid Lindblad sixth.

Red Bull-owned Racing Bulls and Alpine are in a tight battle for fifth place with the two separated by only three points in the constructors’ standings before the latest verdict.

The appeal court said in its 26-page published decision that the two five-second time penalties originally imposed on Gasly must stand and be reimposed, with the championship standings amended accordingly.

Arbi Karapetian, Formula One Management’s Chief Engineering and Innovation Officer, was the only witness called at the appeal hearing which was held behind closed doors in Paris on August 25. He gave evidence about the timing system and measurements.

Timekeepers Formula One have admitted to a “measurement discrepancy” resulting from pitlane changes.

McLaren and Red Bull argued that the stewards’ decision in favour of Gasly, when others had taken penalties during the race and could not have them undone, was “a breach of the equality of treatment and of sporting fairness”.

They also said that, in their opinion, the review of the first decisions “was an improper and disproportionate remedy, which was contrary to sporting fairness.”

The FIA and Alpine held the view that “the fact that penalties served during a race cannot be rescinded cannot be an obstacle to the cancellation of an illegitimate sanction, because those penalties were served at the discretion and choice of the team.”

(With Inputs from Agencies)