Gasly Reclaims Monaco Podium Following FOM Measurement Error

Pierre Gasly has been restored to third place at the Monaco Grand Prix after Alpine successfully challenged pitlane speeding penalties. The decision follows an admission from Formula One Management (FOM) that inaccurate distance measurements in the pitlane led to several drivers being wrongly penalized during the race.

Why it matters:

This incident exposes a critical flaw in the timing loop system used to police pitlane speeds. More importantly, it creates a controversial precedent regarding how penalties are served. While Gasly benefits from the error, other drivers who served their penalties during the race—including Lewis Hamilton and George Russell—cannot recover their lost time, highlighting a significant loophole in the current sporting regulations.

The Details:

• The Technical Error: FOM admitted a "significant delta" existed between the calculated distance and the actual distance driven. Due to the curved nature of the Monaco pitlane, drivers naturally cut corners, which skewed the speed calculations for those barely exceeding the 60km/h limit.
• The Result: Gasly was penalized for breaches of only 0.1km/h and 0.4km/h. Because his total 10-second penalty was added after the finish line rather than served in-race, the stewards were able to rescind it.
• The Podium Shift: As a result of the correction, Isack Hadjar loses his first Red Bull podium, dropping from third to fourth after having already celebrated on the rostrum.
• The Collateral Damage: Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri also suffered from the same measurement error. However, because they served their penalties during the event, they receive no compensation, following the precedent set by Carlos Sainz at Zandvoort.

What's next:

This outcome may fundamentally shift how teams handle stewards' decisions. By proving that time penalties added at the end of a race can be rescinded while those served in-race cannot, the FIA has inadvertently incentivized teams to avoid serving penalties during the race and instead challenge them via the "right of review" process to potentially reclaim lost positions post-race.