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McLaren has formally appealed the decision that reinstated Pierre Gasly’s podium finish from the Monaco Grand Prix, escalating one of the most contentious sporting rulings of the recent Formula 1 season.
The team lodged its notification of appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal at the end of the 96-hour window available following the stewards’ ruling. The matter became a major talking point during the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend, where the implications of the revised Monaco classification were still being felt across the paddock.
Gasly’s Monaco podium was restored after two five-second post-race penalties for pit-lane speeding were nullified. Those penalties had originally affected the final order, with Red Bull and Isack Hadjar losing a podium finish and Oscar Piastri dropping from fourth to fifth. Piastri had already voiced frustration over the episode, with the FIA’s handling of the Gasly decision described as unclear in our related coverage of his reaction to the Monaco podium reversal.
The controversy stems from the discovery that one of the timing loops in the Monaco pit lane was shorter than calibrated. Several drivers received similar penalties, but Gasly was the only one who had not served the punishment during the race, giving Alpine room to seek the penalties’ removal after the event.
For McLaren, the appeal is not being framed as an attack on Alpine or Gasly. Instead, the team says the issue concerns sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and confidence in how the FIA Sporting Regulations are applied.
In its statement, McLaren confirmed it had appealed Stewards Document 99, Revised Final Race Classification Document 100 and Revised Championship Points Document 101 relating to the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
The team said it fully respects the FIA’s judicial processes and the role of the stewards, but argued that the case raises “important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition.”
McLaren added that teams operated throughout the Monaco weekend according to the regulations and standard practices as they were applied at the time, adjusting procedures and accepting penalties where required.
The central concern is that reversing penalties after the event may penalise competitors who complied with the original decisions. McLaren warned that such an outcome risks creating sporting inequity and weakening confidence in consistent regulation.
The team concluded that its appeal is not directed at any rival, but reflects its belief that the championship requires rules applied consistently, transparently and fairly to all participants.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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