Pierre Gasly’s restored podium could open a Pandora’s box
The decision to cancel the penalties imposed on Pierre Gasly and restore the podium finish he originally earned on track risks creating a far-reaching controversy within Formula 1.
Mercedes has already confirmed that it is evaluating possible legal options, although the chances of success appear extremely limited. Team principal Toto Wolff has made it clear that the objective would not be to challenge Pierre Gasly’s result directly, but rather to determine whether there is any way to protect George Russell’s interests following what happened in Monaco.
The room for manoeuvre appears narrow. George Russell’s second penalty was triggered by his failure to serve the first one, and although the situation originated from an error involving FOM procedures, it was also linked to a mistake made by Mercedes during the pit stop sequence. Furthermore, there is currently no retroactive mechanism that allows a penalty to be removed unless a formal request for review has been submitted.
For other teams, however, the situation is different.
Both McLaren and Red Bull have formally notified their intention to challenge Alpine’s successful request for a review. This does not mean the two teams have already launched a full appeal, but rather that they have preserved their right to do so while using the time permitted under the regulations to evaluate their options.
After qualifying, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella indicated that the Woking-based team is seriously considering moving forward with the process.
“The situation where some cars that received penalties served them during the race, while others did not, and then we end up in a position where some of the cars that did not serve them have their penalties removed, is a really difficult case,” Stella explained.
“We have already submitted a notice of intention to appeal. We will use the time available to us and then confirm whether or not we proceed. For now, I would prefer not to comment further, other than to say that this is a very complex situation and we believe it is appropriate to consider an appeal.”
Oscar Piastri questions the decision
Andrea Stella was not the only McLaren representative to express concerns. Following qualifying, Oscar Piastri also addressed the controversy and admitted he was shocked by the stewards’ decision to restore Pierre Gasly’s podium.
The Australian driver was among those penalized for speeding in the pit lane during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
Oscar Piastri had completed an additional pit stop to serve his penalty, a move that ultimately dropped him behind Pierre Gasly in the final classification. The fact that the Alpine driver later had his sanctions removed because they had never been served, while McLaren followed the standard procedure and accepted the sporting consequences, left the Australian struggling to understand the outcome.
For McLaren and Red Bull, however, the objective differs from Mercedes’ position. Their goal is not to remove penalties given to their own drivers, but rather to challenge the legitimacy of Pierre Gasly’s restored podium by arguing that the measurement process remained consistent throughout the weekend.
On one hand, Alpine deserves credit for being the only team to identify and pursue a formal review. On the other hand, rival teams can reasonably argue that they relied on the FIA’s original assessment because no anomalies had been identified during the event.
The central issue is not necessarily Pierre Gasly’s podium itself. The bigger concern is the precedent it may establish and the possibility that future race results could become increasingly vulnerable to repeated reviews and legal challenges.
This is precisely the type of scenario the FIA has sought to avoid in recent years by tightening the conditions under which teams can request reviews.
“I’m genuinely stunned by this decision,” Oscar Piastri said after qualifying. “When other people received penalties for exactly the same thing and served them during the race, the fact that you can then change only one penalty, knowing that at least five or six other races were affected by it, is astonishing.
“Obviously, I lost a position because of it, but I can only imagine how George feels. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
He continued:
“I lost the position to Pierre because I served my penalty. Technically I should be in third place, but then technically George should also be on the podium. The whole thing is a mess now. It’s a pretty big mess they’ve got themselves into.”
“I don’t know how they get out of it because now the precedent becomes: don’t serve the penalty, go to court, wait a few months for the race result to be decided, and who on earth wants to race like that? ‘Perplexed’ is probably the word I would use.”
Red Bull also raises concerns
Red Bull was also directly affected by the decision. Isack Hadjar was demoted from third to fourth place, losing what would have been his first podium for Red Bull Racing after Pierre Gasly’s result was reinstated.
“We’re a little confused because, at the end of the day, we are talking about penalties that are supposedly not appealable,” Laurent Mekies explained. “You find yourself racing against cars that have received non-appealable penalties, and you adapt your race accordingly.”
Mekies was among those who opposed the removal of Pierre Gasly’s penalties during the review hearing.
“Some cars actually served those penalties during the race. Regardless of what we think as a team or how we defend our competitive interests, I believe it is very important for the fans that there is complete clarity regarding the race result as soon as the race ends.”
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