(Motorsport-Total.com) – In a highly explosive press conference at the Italian Grand Prix, Alpine’s Flavio Briatore questioned the neutrality of one of the judges who reinstated Pierre Gasly’s penalties from Monaco. The Italian’s accusation: One of the judges, the Italian-American Filippo Marchino, is closely connected to McLaren.
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“I find this very unfair,” Briatore raged about the outcome of the hearing. “We accept the decision, but what was very strange: There were four judges on the panel, and one of them acted like a prosecutor,” said Alpine’s executive advisor. “There were four judges, and this one really acted like a prosecutor against the FIA, against us, and against the FOM.”
“Later we found out why this guy was so malicious. He is closely connected to McLaren,” Briatore revealed. “We have a nice photo showing this guy giving a speech for McLaren at MSO Beverly Hills in 2018. He has a foundation called One Drop Foundation, and McLaren donated two or three cars. That was quite unfair.”
“We accept the decision, we accept everything, but it is very strange to have a guy on the panel who is connected to the team. That is unfair,” said Briatore. “A judge normally has to be completely independent.”
Stella shocked by accusation
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, sitting next to Briatore, felt visibly blindsided by these accusations: “I think this conference is going in a direction that is quite offensive to McLaren and to the reputation of a team that deserves a lot of respect,” Stella fired back.
“And if someone makes such accusations, which seem quite serious, they must also take responsibility for what they say in a public forum.”
Stella emphasized: “The hearing and the entire procedure before the International Court of Appeal were conducted to the highest standards. We should not question this case as is being done here.”
What McLaren wanted to achieve with the protest
McLaren was among the beneficiaries of the new decision that cost Gasly the podium in Monaco, as Oscar Piastri moved up from fifth to fourth place and gained two additional points.
“It is a decision that we definitely welcome,” said Stella, but stressed that it was not primarily about an advantage for McLaren: “It is very important because it creates clarity regarding the application of Article 1.1.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code, which forms the basis for everything else.”
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“We appealed because we wanted to ensure that this clarity was created,” said Stella. “Our concerns went beyond the fact that we might have lost two championship points. Most likely, these two points will not make a difference. It was about the application of sporting equality and fairness. That is important – and not just for McLaren.”
“In fact, not only Red Bull appealed, but all teams were present at the hearing. It was a very important moment to clarify how we apply the rules, how we ensure consistency, and – in this particular case – how this consistency relates to the methods that apply during a race weekend,” said the team principal.
What happened
Gasly was one of several drivers penalized in Monaco for speeding in the pit lane. It later turned out that this was due to a faulty measurement by the FOM.
Gasly lost his third place, but Alpine initiated a review procedure (Right of Review) against the penalties. The FIA race stewards then agreed to lift the Frenchman’s penalty.
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McLaren and Red Bull appealed this decision because the other affected drivers had already served their penalties and had no opportunity to have them annulled.
After a lengthy procedure, the FIA International Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the appellants and reinstated Gasly’s two five-second penalties. As a result, Gasly dropped to seventh place, while Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar reclaimed the podium spot.
In a statement, Alpine expressed “its disappointment and frustration” over the ruling. However, in the press conference, Briatore then revealed what he really thinks about the matter…
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