Monaco controversy explodes as F1 teams left ‘livid’ over shock ruling days later
French driver Pierre Gasly’s third place finish in last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix has been reinstated after stewards rescinded two penalties he received, the FIA announced Friday.
Gasly had crossed the finish line in third place but received two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane by 0.1 and 0.4 km/h respectively and was ultimately classified seventh.
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“We would like to thank the FIA and Formula One Management for its transparency and co-operation throughout the Right of Review process and for reaching this decision,” the French team said.
“The team focus is now very much on this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and striving for the best possible result with both of its cars.”
The FIA’s decision, however, may not be the end of the Monaco drama.
Gasly was just one of five drivers — an unusually high number — who were given five-second time penalties for speeding at the Monaco Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ George Russell, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto were the others.
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Crucially, only the Alpines failed to serve the penalties during the race before fighting to have the punishment overturned.
There is reportedly no mechanism in the FIA’s rulings that can alter penalties that were already served during the race.
Nonetheless, the FIA decision might’ve opened Pandora’s box with McLaren reportedly lodging a notice of intention to appeal, according to the BBC’s Jennie Gow.
If Piastri didn’t serve his own five-second penalty, and had the punishment also overturned, he would’ve finished third over Gasly.
Meanwhile, veteran F1 journalist Adam Cooper reports that a Mercedes insider explained to him that the team is “livid” with the news.
Russell was also cruelled by the decision having served a drive-through penalty for failing to serbe his initial penalty at his next pit stop.
“This was why I was pleading with them not to give me the drive-through penalty for the incorrect penalty in the race because once you have a drive-through, there’s nothing you can do,” Russell said.
Alpine successfully argued that the FIA’s calculations for pit-lane speed in Monaco was “inaccurate and over-estimated the speed”.
“There was clearly something wrong in Monaco because you had more pit-lane speeding in one race than you have in a whole season,” Russell added.
“Pierre deserves to get his result back, but of course, from my side, it’s going to be very annoying, but it changes nothing. The race is done now.”
GASLY DELIGHTED
Gasly reacted to his podium reinstatement while speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday.
“I’m extremely happy for the whole team, very proud of the whole team for the way they got that result,” he said.
“Sunday night I felt very low. A lot of mixed emotions - proud of the performance, extremely sad about the whole decision and situation, some injustice in that situation.
“And I wasn’t sure how things would move forward. The team did an amazing job. I’m very proud of F1 and the FIA for the transparency and everyone recognising their responsibilities in that situation.
“We all know that with everything at stake, we look at World Championships in all different sports, we know how complicated things can be. Today, it’s a massive step forward for our sport.”
