(Motorsport-Total.com) – About two months after the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, the FIA, the world governing body for motorsport, has set the date for the appeal hearing of McLaren and Red Bull against the retroactive reinstatement of third place to Pierre Gasly: The case will be heard on August 25, 2026, before the FIA Appeals Court.
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It is not only about whether Gasly is allowed to remain third, but also about sporting fairness towards the drivers who could not appeal after the Monaco race because they had already served their penalties during the race.
What the Gasly case is really about
But first things first: Gasly finished third in Monaco. However, he initially lost the podium place due to two time penalties he received for speeding in the pit lane.
Alpine was convinced that Gasly had not been speeding. Therefore, the team decided against serving the penalties during a pit stop and instead filed an appeal against the decision of the race stewards.
Alpine later won this appeal – but not based on the data presented by the team. Rather, the Formula 1 Management (FOM), responsible for the official timing system, found a discrepancy between the actual distance covered and the distance assumed by the system used for speed measurement.
This discrepancy caused the system to calculate an excessively high speed for the pit lane. Cars that cut the line more sharply at the pit entry were particularly affected. For this reason, the race stewards annulled Gasly’s penalties and thus reinstated his podium position earned on track.
Gasly gets his position back, but …
The problem is: While Gasly’s penalties were retroactively removed, other drivers had already served comparable penalties during the race. In their cases, the situation could no longer be reversed. There is no mechanism for that.
This caused criticism among the competing teams. Specifically, McLaren and Red Bull decided to appeal the race stewards’ decision in the Gasly case.
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Red Bull has a direct sporting interest: If the FIA Appeals Court upholds the appeal, Isack Hadjar could benefit. He had initially moved up to third place before Gasly’s penalties were lifted. (Photo gallery: The biggest Formula 1 scandals)
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For McLaren, however, the matter goes beyond just the distribution of points. The team is primarily concerned with clarifying the questions raised regarding sporting fairness, the consistent application of the regulations, and the integrity of the process.
These doubts are understandable: Gasly’s penalties were removed, but those of other drivers were not – even though the timing system error was present throughout the entire weekend.
How McLaren explains its position on the Gasly case
McLaren stated: “In our view, the retroactive removal of the penalties creates a situation where some participants are disadvantaged because they acted in accordance with the rules and the decisions of the race stewards. Such a result carries the risk of sporting inequality and could undermine confidence in the consistent application of the FIA sporting regulations.”
McLaren further explained: “Our decision to appeal is not directed against any particular competitor. Rather, it reflects our belief that the championship benefits from rules that are applied uniformly, transparently, and fairly to all participants.”
“McLaren will continue to work constructively with the FIA, Formula 1, and the other participants to protect the integrity of the sport and maintain confidence in its regulatory framework.”
At its core, the issue is about defining what sporting fairness specifically means in such a situation and how a clear legal framework can be established for comparable cases. This is exactly what the FIA Appeals Court must decide next Tuesday.
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