Alpine Challenges FIA to Reclaim Gasly's Monaco Podium

Alpine is taking a formal stand against the FIA to reclaim Pierre Gasly's podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. After being demoted from third to seventh due to minute pitlane speeding violations, the team has filed a Right of Review to challenge the penalties that erased one of Gasly's strongest drives of the season.

Why it matters:

Securing a podium in Monaco is a career-defining achievement, and for Gasly, the loss felt like a robbery of a hard-earned result. Beyond the emotional weight, this case challenges the FIA's rigid enforcement of pitlane speed limits in Monaco, where a technicality in measurement can penalize drivers for negligible margins.

The Details:

• The Infractions: Gasly received two separate five-second penalties for exceeding the 60km/h pitlane limit by just 0.1km/h and 0.4km/h, respectively.
• Measurement Flaw: Unlike instantaneous readings, Monaco uses average speed calculations via timing loops. Drivers who cut the curve of the pitlane cover less distance, often triggering penalties even when their actual speed is compliant.
• The Legal Hurdle: Under Article 14 of the FIA International Sporting Code, Alpine cannot simply argue the penalty was "unfair." They must provide a "significant and relevant new element" that was unavailable at the time of the decision.
• Hearing Structure: The virtual process is split into two stages: first, proving that new evidence exists, and only then debating whether that evidence warrants overturning the penalties.

What's next:

The virtual hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 1pm CET. Success in Right of Review requests is rare in F1; the most notable recent precedent was the 2025 reversal of Carlos Sainz's penalty at Zandvoort, which relied on previously unseen onboard footage.

Unless Alpine can produce a similar "smoking gun" regarding the timing loop data or a technical failure in the FIA's system, Gasly's P7 classification is likely to stand.