Flavio Briatore, Alpine executive advisor, has publicly accused a judge on the FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) panel of bias following a ruling that reinstated penalties for Pierre Gasly. The decision, handed down on Friday, September 4, 2026, resulted in Gasly losing his third-place finish from the Monaco Grand Prix.
The ICA’s verdict confirmed the appeals lodged by Red Bull and McLaren, overturning an earlier decision by stewards that had rescinded Gasly’s two five-second time penalties for pit-lane speeding. This final ruling demoted Gasly from third to seventh in the Monaco classification.
Briatore specifically named Filippo Marchino, an Italian-American judge on the four-member panel, alleging a ‘very strong link’ with McLaren. He cited a photograph of Marchino giving a speech for McLaren in 2018 at McLaren Special Operations (MSO) in Beverly Hills.
The Alpine executive advisor further claimed that Marchino’s ‘One Drop Foundation’ had received car donations from McLaren. The One Drop Foundation, an international non-profit focused on water initiatives, announced in July 2026 that it was winding down operations.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella immediately rejected Briatore’s allegations during the FIA press conference. Stella described the accusations as ‘insulting’ to McLaren’s reputation and affirmed that the appeal hearing was conducted to the highest standards.
Stella also cautioned that individuals making such serious allegations in a public forum must be prepared to take responsibility for their statements. The FIA established the ICA in 2011 as an independent body with its own administration to ensure fair judicial processes.
The ICA panel for this specific case was presided over by Michael Grech from Malta. The other judges included Tomas Borec of Slovakia, Luigi Fumagalli of Italy, and Filippo Marchino, representing the USA and Italy.
The initial penalties against Gasly stemmed from a measurement discrepancy concerning pit-lane timing loops during the Monaco Grand Prix in June. Alpine had successfully argued for a right of review to overturn these penalties.
However, Red Bull and McLaren subsequently appealed that decision to the ICA. The final ruling reinstated the original penalties, promoting Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to third place and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to fourth.
Pierre Gasly is currently contracted with Alpine until at least the end of the 2028 Formula 1 season. Briatore himself returned to an official F1 role as an Alpine executive advisor in 2024, following the overturning of a previous FIA ban.
McLaren, under Team Principal Andrea Stella since December 2022, has experienced significant success, securing back-to-back Constructors’ Championships in 2024 and 2025.
‘Sorry, this is very unfair,’ Briatore stated. ‘First, we accept the decision, but what is very strange is, of the four judges on the panel, one of the judges acts like a prosecutor. For us, that’s not a big problem. The problem is that he’s very linked with McLaren.’
