McLaren lodge appeal over Gasly's penalty reversal at Monaco GP

McLaren have formally lodged an appeal against the FIA's decision to overturn Pierre Gasly's pit-lane speeding penalty from the Monaco Grand Prix, which reinstated the Alpine driver to third place.

Gasly had originally been demoted from third to seventh after being penalised for speeding in the pit lane, but Alpine successfully argued that the pit-lane speed limit had been miscalculated by the FIA. The governing body's stewards subsequently reversed the penalty, promoting Gasly back to third and dropping McLaren's Oscar Piastri from fourth to fifth.

What happened

The controversy stems from a FIA error in measuring the pit-lane speed limit at Monaco. Evidence presented by Alpine showed that drivers could take a shorter route through the pit lane than the distance used by F1 and the FIA to calculate the speed limit, meaning several drivers unknowingly exceeded the limit despite adhering to the standard procedure.

• Gasly was one of five drivers penalised for pit-lane speeding during the race.
• McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Mercedes' George Russell were also among those penalised.
• After Alpine's review, Gasly's penalty was overturned, affecting the final classification.
• McLaren argue that other drivers served their penalties in good faith and are now disadvantaged.
• Mercedes have also requested a right of review into the race results.

Why it matters

McLaren's statement emphasised concerns over sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition. The team argues that competitors adjusted their procedures based on the rules as applied at the time, and the retrospective removal of penalties creates inequity. Piastri, speaking at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, called the situation 'astonishing', noting that other drivers were impacted by the same error.

The appeal now moves to the FIA Court of Appeal, the governing body's highest legal authority, which will determine whether the original penalty reversal stands. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.