Daily News 19

Tag: FIA International Court of Appeal

  • Monaco GP Appeal Ruling Fails to Motivate Pierre Gasly for Monza F1 Pole Bid

    Monaco GP Appeal Ruling Fails to Motivate Pierre Gasly for Monza F1 Pole Bid

    Pierre Gasly says he could have done without the FIA’s International Court of Appeal decision to strip him of his Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix podium, especially after securing a shock maiden pole position at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

    ICA Overturns Monaco Stewards’ Decision

    The ICA overruled the Monaco stewards’ call to overturn Gasly’s pit-lane speeding penalties from the Monaco race after the pit-lane measurements were found to be inaccurate. After crossing the finish line in third, being demoted to seventh and then recovering third, the Alpine driver has eventually been classified seventh in the final classification of the race.

    Gasly Reacts to ICA Ruling

    A little over 24 hours later, Gasly took a shock maiden F1 pole at the Italian Grand Prix, outpacing Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.060s. Asked if the ICA’s decision was providing “a bit of extra motivation,” the Frenchman was circumspect.

    “I don’t think I can say much about this and all I can say is it’s not a nice situation, not ideal,” the Frenchman replied. “Obviously, I try to use everything I can into something positive and extra motivation, but I think I could have dealt without it this weekend. Yeah, that’s all I’ll say.”

    Qualifying Masterclass After Tough Practice

    After missing Free Practice 1 for Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron to fulfil rookie requirements, Gasly was just 14th in FP2 and ninth in FP3, but leapt forward in qualifying with first in Q1, fourth in Q2 and the fastest time in Q3 – a performance he attributes to “perfect execution” from the team.

    “We knew that there was a bit more on the table in the practice sessions,” Gasly commented, “and then I think it was a very good execution from the team, always putting me in a great position on track, managing the gap as best we could, really.”

    “My last lap, managed to target slightly over 2.5 seconds behind Lewis [Hamilton] when he was going to be fast and sort of drag me with him. So, I think it was perfect execution.”

    “The car balance is probably one of the best I’ve had so far this year, really. Again, gave me the confidence to attack all these corners and sliding around and playing around with the car, and we managed to make it work in that last run when everything mattered.”

    Race Outlook: Front-Runners Behind, Antonelli Starts 20th

    Winning will be a tall order for Gasly, with most frontrunners right behind him on the grid – except championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who will start from 20th after exceeding his power unit allowance.

    “It’s going to be obviously great. I’m in the best position, right?” Gasly insisted. “I’m starting first, got no one ahead of me. I just got to focus on my driving and, you know, I know what it looks like having no one around this track, so that’s a good advantage and probably the best place to do it.”

    Six years ago, a fortunately timed safety car intervention vaulted Gasly to the front of the pack; he led for the last 26 laps, withstanding Carlos Sainz’s pressure on his way to a maiden – and so far only – victory.

    “But then, yeah, it’s going to be a long race,” he pondered.

    “I actually felt quite good. Obviously not to the pace of these guys around us, but we seem to have picked up more pace from yesterday to today. So, we’ll obviously give our best shot and see what we can get out of it. But, yeah, I’m excited.”

  • Why Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Case Is So Complex—and Why the Outcome Could Take Weeks

    Why Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Case Is So Complex—and Why the Outcome Could Take Weeks

    Nearly three months after the Monaco Grand Prix, the final result of Formula 1’s most prestigious race remains unresolved.

    Pierre Gasly’s time penalty for speeding in the pit lane was overturned in the week after the race, restoring him to third place and demoting Isack Hadjar. The dispute did not end there.

    McLaren and Red Bull have challenged the decision before the FIA’s International Court of Appeal (ICA), which heard the case last Wednesday. However, the parties involved have indicated that an immediate verdict is unlikely. A decision, or at least an explanation of the decision, could take another two to three weeks, in line with the usual procedure for an ICA case.

    Why the Monaco GP appeal is taking so long

    The full-day hearing was unusual. The ICA heard arguments from all sides, but the judges need time to reach a considered judgment because of the complexity of the legal issues and the wider implications for Formula 1.

    McLaren has linked the case to broader “principles of fairness”. Hadjar and Oscar Piastri both lost positions and championship points after Gasly’s penalty was overturned, but both teams argue that more is at stake. They have described the events in Monaco as a potentially dangerous precedent.

    Gasly has been handed Hadjar’s trophy, but nearly three months later he still doesn’t know whether he is allowed to keep it
    Photo by: Erik Junius

    McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described a “double intent” behind the appeal at Zandvoort, saying the issue goes beyond the points lost in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

    “We think that the process that happened after the race in Monaco is a process that needs to be reviewed from a fairness [point of view] for all competitors. The fact that the penalty was removed introduces some significant elements of concern,” McLaren’s team principal said.

    “There’s obviously more related to this case. It can go into the technical aspects of how the pit limiter speed was calculated. But for me, at a high level, it’s more the fairness and the principle that needs to be clarified and possibly reinstated. I think what happened sets some significant concerns.”

    Stella’s comments refer to the precedent that could be created if drivers and teams are encouraged to avoid serving time penalties during a race and instead challenge them after the chequered flag.

    Oscar Piastri and George Russell were among the drivers who paid the price in Monaco. The Mercedes driver unsuccessfully attempted to serve his time penalty and received an additional drive-through penalty as a result. He ultimately finished without points in the principality, with no opportunity to change the outcome afterwards despite Mercedes exploring its options.

    The teams also believe that if the measurements were inaccurate for everyone, accepting the system’s flaws is part of the responsibility of competing in a championship. Otherwise, the case could open a can of worms.

    According to McLaren and Red Bull, the appeal also concerns the wider implications and the fairness of the sport
    Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

    Why a fair Monaco GP result may be impossible

    McLaren and Red Bull argue that the case sets an important precedent, but the ICA judges are effectively being asked to choose between two unsatisfactory outcomes. An ideal solution for the Monaco race is no longer available.

    Following the Monaco Grand Prix, officials established that the pit-lane measurement was inaccurate. There was a 77cm discrepancy in the distance between two timing loops, meaning the speed readings were incorrect and it could not be proven that drivers such as Gasly had exceeded the limit.

    Now that the measurement has been shown to be inaccurate, reinstating Gasly’s time penalty would be difficult in hindsight. However, other drivers who may have been wrongly penalised cannot recover the time they lost. As a result, achieving a fair outcome for everyone is virtually impossible, regardless of the ICA’s eventual decision.