McLaren appeal Monaco Grand Prix result after Gasly podium reinstatement
McLaren have formally appealed the Monaco Grand Prix classification after Alpine driver Pierre Gasly was controversially reinstated to the podium.
The Woking-based outfit raised significant concerns regarding sporting fairness and regulatory consistency following the post-race adjustments.
Gasly was initially among five drivers heavily penalised for exceeding the speed limit around the tight street circuit’s pit lane.
The French driver was temporarily stripped of his third-place finish alongside Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s own Oscar Piastri.
Pit lane distance discrepancy
However, Alpine successfully overturned the five-second time penalty by providing crucial evidence that the Monaco pit lane distance was incorrectly measured.
This revelation meant the speed-tracking technology was flawed, prompting the race stewards to completely rescind the sanctions.
The reversal bumped the former AlphaTauri driver back up to third, subsequently demoting Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to fourth and pushing Piastri down to fifth.
Mercedes have also submitted a formal request for the FIA to review the revised race results.
Integrity of competition questioned
In a strongly worded statement, McLaren insisted that they respect the judicial process but feel the decision undermines the sport’s established regulations.
“While we fully respect the FIA’s judicial processes and the role of the Stewards, we believe this case raises important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition.”
The British constructor argued that teams actively disadvantaged themselves during the race by strictly adhering to the assumed rules and serving their subsequent penalties.
“In our view, 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.”
They added that this sudden outcome risks creating sporting inequity and severely damaging confidence in the governing body’s application of the rulebook.
McLaren clarified that their appeal is not directed at Alpine or Gasly, but rather at ensuring transparent and fair application of rules for all championship participants.
