The FIA International Court of Appeal will convene on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, to address appeals lodged by Red Bull Racing and McLaren against the decision to reinstate Pierre Gasly’s third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this season. The hearing is scheduled for 09:00 local time in Paris.
Gasly, driving for Alpine, initially received two five-second time penalties during the Monaco Grand Prix for exceeding the pit lane speed limit. These penalties, recorded at 60.1 km/h and 60.4 km/h, demoted him from a provisional third position to seventh in the final classification.
Alpine subsequently filed a Right of Review, presenting new evidence that Formula One Management (FOM) had supplied inaccurate pit lane distance measurements. This discrepancy, identified as a 77cm error in the first timing zone, rendered the 60 km/h speed limit mathematically impossible to adhere to.
On June 12, 2026, the stewards, acknowledging the measurement error, rescinded both of Gasly’s penalties. This decision restored the French driver to third place, marking his sixth career podium and first of the 2026 season.
The reinstatement of Gasly’s podium position directly impacted other competitors. Isack Hadjar of Red Bull Racing was consequently demoted from third to fourth, while Oscar Piastri of McLaren moved from fourth to fifth.
Red Bull and McLaren formally lodged their intention to appeal the stewards’ decision on June 16, 2026. Their protest centers on concerns regarding sporting fairness, regulatory consistency, and the integrity of competition.
A key point of contention is that several other drivers, including Piastri and George Russell, also received pit lane speeding penalties at Monaco and served them during the race. The FIA’s Document 99, paragraph 42, explicitly states that stewards lack the authority to reverse penalties once they have been served.
This regulatory distinction means that penalties applied post-race, such as Gasly’s, can be reviewed and overturned if new evidence emerges, whereas penalties served in-race are permanent. This creates an asymmetry that Red Bull and McLaren argue disadvantages teams that complied with the initial rulings.
McLaren’s official statement highlighted that the removal of penalties creates a situation where some competitors are disadvantaged by having acted in accordance with the rules and stewards’ decisions. The team emphasized that their appeal is not directed at any competitor but seeks consistent, transparent, and fair application of the FIA Sporting Regulations.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies stated the appeal is a ‘matter of principle,’ seeking clarity on sporting penalties. He noted that the team’s driver, Isack Hadjar, was forced to relinquish his podium due to the reversal.
The International Court of Appeal serves as the final appeal tribunal for international motor sport. It possesses plenary power to waive, mitigate, or increase penalties but cannot order a competition to be re-run.
The upcoming hearing will be closed to the public and media, with the decision to be published as soon as possible after proceedings conclude.
