Pierre Gasly of Alpine has once again been deprived of his third‑place finish from the Monaco Grand Prix held in June, after the penalties originally applied to him were reinstated following a victorious appeal by McLaren and Red Bull. The reversal means that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar moves back onto the podium in third place, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri reclaims the fourth spot on the official results. With the appeal decision, Gasly is now classified in seventh place.
The two Racing Bulls drivers, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, occupy the fifth and sixth positions respectively. The race on 7 June was ultimately won by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finishing second. Initially, Gasly crossed the line in third position, but he was demoted immediately after the chequered flag when stewards applied two five‑second penalties for exceeding the pit‑lane speed limit. Those penalties had not been served during the race, which caused his drop down the order.
The provisional top ten after the original penalties read as follows: 1) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 2) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 3) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), 4) Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 5) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), 6) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), 7) Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 8) Alex Albon (Williams), 9) Esteban Ocon (Haas), 10) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Drivers shown in bold had their positions altered after the International Court of Appeal (ICA) ruling on 4 September. Five days after the race, Alpine filed a right‑to‑review request, presenting new evidence that the stewards had miscalculated the distance in the pit lane. The FIA accepted this as a “significant and relevant new element,” concluding that Gasly had not actually broken the speed limit, and his original third‑place finish was restored.
McLaren and Red Bull, however, lodged an appeal against Alpine’s successful review. The appeal was heard by the FIA International Court of Appeal in Paris on 25 August.
The court ultimately decided in favour of the two challengers, overturning Alpine’s win and reinstating the original penalties on Gasly. It is worth noting that other drivers – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ George Russell (who later received a drive‑through penalty) and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – were also flagged for the same pit‑lane speeding infringement. Because those drivers had already served their penalties during the race, the court could not retroactively remove them. Following the verdict, the FIA issued a statement indicating that it would review the timing system used in Formula 1 and the related regulatory framework.
The governing body also said it would examine the procedures surrounding the right‑to‑review and appeal mechanisms, emphasizing its support for the stewarding process and the independence of the panels involved. “The FIA is reviewing the methodology and operation of the current Formula 1 timing system and the related regulatory matters. It will also be reviewing other judicial procedures and operations including the right of review and the appeal processes,” the statement read.
The federation added that stewards operate in a different environment from the Court of Appeal, which has access to extensive legal counsel, arguments and evidence. It highlighted that stewards constantly refine their processes through professional development and that every ICA decision is scrutinised to ensure continuous improvement.
Alpine responded with a brief statement expressing disappointment and frustration at the outcome of the ICA hearing. The team reiterated its belief that Gasly had not exceeded the pit‑lane speed limit at any point, but acknowledged the court’s decision. “The team expresses its disappointment and frustration with the outcome reached by the FIA International Court of Appeal relating to the result of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix,” Alpine 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, we acknowledge the decision of the judging panel from the recent hearing in Paris.” Alpine further noted that, despite the setback, the team remains focused on improving performance and staying competitive in a tightly contested championship battle.
The appeal’s impact on the Constructors’ Championship is significant. Alpine, which had been only three points behind Racing Bulls for fifth place, now finds itself 16 points adrift after losing the three points that would have accompanied a podium finish. Red Bull welcomed the reinstatement of Hadjar, marking his first podium for the team and adding three valuable points to both his and the team’s season totals. Team principal Laurent Mekies commented on the broader implications for the sport.
"It’s important for Isack but we also felt it was important for the sport," Mekies said. "We don’t want to be racing and then spending the next day questioning whether the speed‑limit check was correct. A consistent and transparent enforcement of the rules is essential for fair competition." Looking ahead, Formula 1 moves to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with flexible contracts and the option to cancel at any time.