Red Bull regain Monaco Grand Prix podium after Pierre Gasly has penalty re-instated

Red Bull have regained a podium they achieved at the Monaco Grand Prix after the FIA courts reinstated a penalty given to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Gasly had finished third on the road at the race in June, but was dropped back to seventh after he was given an accumulated 10-second time penalty for two separate speeding offences in the pit lane.

Alpine had originally appealed the decision to hand Gasly his penalties and were successful at a hearing a few weeks after the initial race, after the hearing established an error by F1’s timing software was behind the penalties for Gasly and several other drivers.

This lead to a counter-appeal by Red Bull and McLaren, who argued that the decision by the initial hearing to retrospectively change the parameters that got drivers a speeding penalty was against sporting fairness.

A hearing at the FIA Court of Appeal published results earlier today (04/09) confirming they agreed with Red Bull and McLaren’s view, and that the penalty initially applied to Gasly should be re-applied. This means Hadjar regains what would be his first podium after joining Red Bull Racing, with Gasly dropping down to seventh and Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson all gaining one position.

In a statement, Red Bull declared their happiness at the decision.

They said, “We are highly satisfied with the decision of the FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) and want to thank the FIA for demonstrating the strength of its governance framework. 

“We were confident throughout the process that the facts and regulations supported our position, and we are pleased that the ICA has now confirmed that view.

“It is, first and foremost, the right outcome for the integrity of the sport and the principles of sporting fairness. Motorsport is at its best when outcomes are decided on the track, which is what fans, teams and competitors all want to see.

“Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing is thrilled that Isack’s outstanding performance in Monaco has now been reinstated, securing his first podium finish with the team.”

Alpine voiced their disappointment in their own statement. They said, “While we disagree with the decision, and still fully maintain that car 10 did not exceed the pit-lane speed limit at any point during the race, the team acknowledges the decision of the judging panel from the recent hearing in Paris.

“While the result is not what we had hoped for, as we feel that we have been unjustly punished, the team is firmly focused on continuing to improve its performance on track and remains in a close and very competitive championship fight.”

The move also lead to an extraordinary row at the FIA’s Team Principal press conference between Alpine’s executive advisor and de facto team boss Flavio Briatore and McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella.

Briatore accused one of the justices on the Court of Appeal who oversaw the case of pro-McLaren bias, claiming that the judge had a prior relationship with the F1 team’s affiliated sports car brand, to which Stella accused Briatore of claims that were “quite insulting for McLaren”.