McLaren Racing have formally lodged a notification of appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal challenging the reinstatement of Pierre Gasly’s third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, citing concerns over sporting fairness and regulatory consistency.
Gasly crossed the line in third place at Monaco but was initially demoted to seventh after stewards applied two separate five-second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar inherited the podium position as a result. Alpine subsequently filed a Right of Review into the penalties and presented what was deemed new, significant and relevant evidence. The review was successful, and Gasly was restored to P3 shortly before first practice at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The reinstatement also affected McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who had served his own pit lane speeding penalty during the Monaco race and finished fifth. Piastri briefly gained a position when Gasly was initially penalized but was reclassified back to fifth once the Alpine driver’s result was restored.
McLaren’s appeal targets three specific FIA documents: Stewards Document 99, Revised Final Race Classification Document 100 and Revised Championship Points Document 101.
The team’s official statement framed the appeal as a matter of principle rather than a challenge aimed at any rival. “We believe this case raises important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition,” McLaren said. The team argued that all competitors operated according to the regulations and established standard practices for pit lane speed limits as they were applied during the Monaco weekend, and that those who incurred penalties accepted and served them under those regulations.
“The subsequent removal of penalties creates a situation in which some competitors are disadvantaged by having acted in accordance with the rules and the Stewards’ decisions,” McLaren stated. “Such an outcome risks creating sporting inequity and undermining confidence in the consistent application of the FIA Sporting Regulations.”
McLaren emphasized that the appeal is not directed at any competitor. “Our decision to appeal reflects our belief that the Championship benefits from regulations that are applied consistently, transparently and fairly to all participants,” the team said. “McLaren remains committed to working constructively with the FIA, Formula One and fellow competitors to protect the integrity of the sport and maintain confidence in its regulatory framework.”
The case now moves to the FIA International Court of Appeal, where the outcome could have significant implications for how Right of Review decisions and penalty enforcement are handled across the remainder of the season.