Judges will take weeks to rule on Formula One’s Monaco GP appeal
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Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar celebrating with the trophy on the podium after finishing third in the Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco on June 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Appeal judges will take 2-3 weeks to decide the final results of the Monaco GP, focusing on whether Pierre Gasly keeps third place or if it goes to Isack Hadjar.
- Gasly was initially demoted from third to seventh due to penalties, but this was overturned due to a timekeeping error; McLaren and Hadjar's team then appealed the reversal.
- The case raises fairness concerns, especially as penalties served during the race cannot be undone, impacting championship points and the sport's integrity.
AI generated
LONDON – Appeal court judges will take two to three weeks to decide the final results of June’s Monaco Grand Prix after a hearing on Aug 25, Formula One’s governing body said.
The FIA’s international court of appeal met behind closed doors in Paris in a case that will determine whether third place stays with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly or goes to Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, with knock-on effects for others immediately behind.
Gasly finished third on track on June 7 but was demoted to seventh when two five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding were applied post-race, with fellow Frenchman Hadjar promoted to third and spraying the champagne.
That decision was overturned after a right to review on June 12, stewards accepting Renault-owned Alpine’s evidence that there had been a timekeeping error. Hadjar then handed the trophy back to Gasly before his team and McLaren appealed on June 16.
As well as Hadjar dropping down, in a race won by Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton second, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri moved down to fifth, with Liam Lawson sixth and Arvid Lindblad seventh for Red Bull-owned Racing Bulls.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said at the weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix that the removal of Gasly’s penalties raised significant elements of concern from a position of fairness.
Piastri penalties
Piastri also got penalties for the same speeding offence but he, unlike Gasly, served them during the race – a situation that could not be overturned and cost the Australian places and points.
Mercedes driver George Russell, a title contender, finished out of the points after serving a drive-through penalty for pit-lane speeding. He said that he had pleaded for his penalty to be added post-race to retain a chance of it being overturned.
“There’s a general interest for Formula One and the sport and the integrity of the sport, and there’s a material interest for McLaren in terms of our championship impact,” said Stella of McLaren’s reasons for appealing.
Stewards noted when Gasly’s penalties were overturned that the situation was unfair to others.
“There is no regulation that gives the stewards the power to ‘undo’ a served penalty. In any case, it is impossible to imagine how such power could be applied,” they said at the time.
No details emerged from the Aug 25 confidential hearing.
Formula One’s next race is the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Sept 6, followed by the debut of Madrid’s new circuit on Sept 13. REUTERS
