Monaco GP Appeal: McLaren and Red Bull Challenge Gasly Podium Reinstatement

McLaren and Red Bull have launched an appeal against the result of the Monaco Grand Prix after Alpine driver Pierre Gasly was restored to the podium. In a public statement, McLaren cited concerns over “sporting fairness” and the “integrity” of competition, while Sky Sports News understands Red Bull are protesting too, worried about the sporting consequences of reversing Gasly’s penalties.

Here is everything you need to know: how Gasly got his podium back, why two of F1’s biggest teams are fighting it, what happens next, and the full Monaco Grand Prix classification.

How Pierre Gasly regained his Monaco podium

Gasly was one of five drivers handed five-second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane during the race. The others were Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Alpine then challenged Gasly’s sanction successfully, presenting evidence that Monaco’s pit-lane distance had been logged incorrectly – which meant the drivers’ speeds had also been measured wrongly. With the penalty wiped, Gasly climbed back to third, demoting Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Piastri to fourth and fifth, and pushing the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad down to sixth and seventh.

Why McLaren and Red Bull are appealing

The crux of the dispute is consistency. McLaren argue that throughout the weekend every team operated under the pit-lane speed rules as they were applied at the time, with competitors adjusting their procedures and, where required, accepting and serving their penalties. Removing one driver’s penalty after the fact, they contend, leaves those who followed the rules and took their punishment at a disadvantage.

In its statement, McLaren said the situation risks creating sporting inequity and eroding confidence in how the FIA Sporting Regulations are applied. The team stressed the appeal is not aimed at any rival, but reflects a belief that the championship is best served by rules enforced consistently, transparently and fairly. McLaren added that it remains committed to working constructively with the FIA, Formula One and fellow teams to protect the sport’s integrity.

Red Bull, meanwhile, are understood to share concerns about the sporting implications and the precedent set by overturning Gasly’s penalty at the expense of Hadjar.

What happens next: the appeal process

Two separate routes are now in play. At the weekend, Mercedes requested a right of review from the FIA, which requires them to present new, significant and relevant evidence to the original Monaco stewards. McLaren and Red Bull, by contrast, have gone further – lodging a formal appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal, where an independent panel will hear the cases in Paris.

Mercedes’ right of review is likely to be heard first, with the team expected to lean on the incorrect pit-lane measurement and the decision to overturn Gasly’s penalty. Their position, however, is complicated by Russell: after Mercedes failed to serve his five-second penalty, he was given a drive-through that dropped him to 12th, costing a probable podium and around 15 championship points.

Team principal Toto Wolff has been candid about Mercedes’ chances, calling the right of review a “long shot” and suggesting it could open a can of worms. He noted that an unserved drive-through normally converts to a 20-second post-race penalty, which would have left Russell back in fourth in any case.

A rare trip to F1’s highest court

McLaren and Red Bull turning to the FIA International Court of Appeal is highly unusual – there have been very few such cases in the sport’s history. The last team to use the Paris-based body was Alfa Romeo in 2019, when their protest over a start-infringement penalty was ruled inadmissible. No date has yet been set for McLaren’s appeal, and given the scale of the case it could be several weeks away.

‘An awkward precedent’: Piastri’s view

Oscar Piastri summed up the frustration after the following race in Barcelona. He acknowledged the FIA had effectively admitted something was wrong with the pit lane, but questioned why one penalty was reversed while the others – affecting five or six cars – were left untouched, especially as he felt he had not been speeding either.

For Piastri, the issue is not about points but principle. He warned the outcome sets an awkward precedent, because it incentivises drivers to finish where they want on track, avoid serving penalties, and argue about it afterwards, rather than accepting the race result as it should stand.

Monaco Grand Prix 2026: full race classification

What’s next: the Austrian Grand Prix

Formula 1’s European campaign continues with the Austrian Grand Prix on June 26–28, live on Sky Sports F1. The Monaco appeals are likely to hang over the paddock until the FIA delivers its verdicts.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Pierre Gasly given his Monaco podium back?

Alpine successfully argued that Monaco’s pit-lane distance was recorded incorrectly, meaning the speed measurement used to penalise Gasly was also wrong. His five-second penalty was overturned and he returned to third.

Why are McLaren and Red Bull appealing the Monaco GP result?

They argue that reversing one driver’s penalty while leaving others in place is inconsistent and unfair to teams that followed the rules and served their sanctions, undermining confidence in how the regulations are applied.

What is the FIA International Court of Appeal?

It is Formula 1’s highest appeal body, based in Paris, where an independent panel reviews disputed decisions. It is rarely used – the last F1 team to go there was Alfa Romeo in 2019.

Who won the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix?

Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes, ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, with Pierre Gasly’s reinstated third place now at the centre of the appeals.