The controversy over the result of the Monaco Grand Prix is far from over. McLaren and Red Bull have formally advanced their appeals to the International Automobile Federation (FIA) after the stewards revoked the penalties imposed on Pierre Gasly, a decision that allowed the driver from Alpine to regain third place and return to the podium days after the race.
The origin of the conflict dates back to race day, when Gasly received two five-second penalties for infractions related to speeding in the pit lane. However, a subsequent review based on information provided by Formula One Management (FOM) detected inconsistencies in the system used to measure speed in that sector of the street circuit in Monte Carlo. After analyzing the evidence from the French team, the FIA annulled the Frenchman's penalties and modified both the final classification and the distribution of championship points.
While the resolution directly benefited the team based in Enstone, it opened a new front of discussion since other drivers had already served similar penalties during the race. In this sense, two of the main affected parties were McLaren (for Oscar Piastri, who served his penalty during the race) and Red Bull (for Isack Hadjar, who had finished third after the original penalties), who believe that the subsequent correction created a competitive imbalance and took action on the matter.
On the British team's side, they publicly confirmed the filing of an appeal. "McLaren Racing can confirm that it has formally submitted a notice of appeal to the FIA International Court of Appeal regarding the following decisions related to the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix", the team stated in a statement.
The Papaya team explained that their complaint is not aimed at any particular driver, but rather at the criteria applied to review the result once the competition had concluded. "While we fully respect the FIA's judicial processes and the role of the stewards, we believe that this case raises important issues related to sporting fairness, regulatory consistency, and the integrity of the competition", the team asserted.
