McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has gone into detail about the “double intent” with which the team will approach the FIA International Court of Appeal, which is set to decide whether the stewards were right to overturn Pierre Gasly’s Monaco penalties.
The controversy stemsfrom the Monaco Grand Prix, where the Alpine driver initially finished third before receiving two separate five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. The additional ten seconds dropped the Alpine driver to seventh in the final classification, before the team challenged the outcome through a Right of Review.
Alpine presented new evidence indicating that the distance on which the pit-lane speed calculations were based was inaccurate. After reconsidering the case, the stewards withdrew both penalties and reinstated Gasly in third place, a decision that consequently pushed Isack Hadjar off the podium.
The reversal, however, created a wider sporting issue. Other drivers, including Oscar Piastri, received comparable penalties during the race and served them before the chequered flag, meaning the time they lost could not subsequently be recovered. McLaren and Red Bull consequently took the matter to the FIA International Court of Appeal, questioning the implications of overturning Gasly’s sanctions after the event.
Photo: Race PicturesPhoto: Race Pictures
Speaking to GPblog and other media after the Dutch Grand Prix, Stella explained that McLaren’s decision to pursue the case is driven by two separate considerations. The first concerns Formula 1 as a whole, with the team seeking greater clarity over the procedure that led to the Monaco sanction being overturned. From McLaren’s perspective, the matter raises questions about how such cases should be handled consistently and fairly across the grid.
"We go to the hearing at the International Court of Appeal with a double intent. The first intent is more general than the interest of McLaren. We think that the process that happened after the race in Monaco is a process that needs to be reviewed, because of fairness for all competitors.
"The fact that the penalty was removed introduces some significant elements of concern, and we would like to take the opportunity of the International Court of Appeal for a clarification of this aspect. There's obviously more related to this case; you can go into the technical aspects of how the pit limiter was calculated, but for me, a high level is more the fairness and the principle that needs to be clarified, and possibly reinstated, because I think what happened sets some significant concerns.
The second element is directly related to McLaren’s own competitive interests. The team already served a sanction that could not be appealed, suffering a tangible sporting consequence and losing championship points in the process. Stella therefore believes McLaren has been directly affected by a situation that now requires further examination.
"The second aspect is the interest of McLaren ourselves. We not only get this level of concern, but we also got materially penalised for having served a penalty that is not appealable, and this even cost us points in the championship.
"There's, I think, a general interest for Formula 1 and the sport and the integrity of the sport, and there's a material interest for McLaren in terms of our championship impact. These are the two points of view, the two perspectives that we would like to pursue and seek clarification for in the coming International Court of Appeal."
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