McLaren files appeal over Gasly penalty reversal

McLaren lodged an appeal against the decision to overturn Alpine driver Pierre Gasly's pit-lane speeding penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix. Alpine won a right of appeal review against the penalty, leading to Gasly's reinstatement in third place after he had been demoted to seventh. During the Alpine hearing, the governing body, the FIA, established that the pit-lane speed limit had been miscalculated at Monaco.

In a statement, McLaren expressed that this case raises significant questions regarding sporting fairness, regulatory consistency, and the integrity of competition. They argued that during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, all teams operated according to the regulations and established standard practices concerning the speed limit in the pit lane. They noted, "Competitors adjusted their procedures accordingly and accepted and served penalties imposed under those regulations.

From our perspective, the subsequent removal of penalties creates a situation in which some teams are disadvantaged for 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."

The Gasly hearing revolved around evidence that drivers could traverse a shorter route along the pit lane than the one the FIA measured to determine the speed limit. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was among four other drivers who received pit-lane speeding penalties, resulting in the loss of positions. The Australian was demoted from fourth to fifth with Gasly's penalty removal.

By lodging the notification of appeal with the FIA Court of Appeal, McLaren took the case to the governing body’s highest legal authority. Meanwhile, Mercedes requested a review of the Monaco race results.

Piastri mentioned at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix that he was "pretty mind-blown" by how the decision could be reversed when others had been penalised for similar infractions. Mercedes' George Russell, who was one of the drivers affected, mentioned that he was demoted from third to twelfth due to a drive-through penalty after his team failed to serve the initial penalty correctly.

Aside from Gasly, Hamilton and Gasly's teammate Franco Colapinto were also found guilty of speeding in the pit lane, with most penalties stemming from being just 0.1 km/h over the speed limit. The ruling that expunged Gasly's penalty further impacted several drivers' results, including multiplayer champions Red Bull, who are yet to award Gasly the third-place trophy while considering an appeal against his penalty’s overturn.