Why McLaren and Red Bull face wait for Monaco F1 appeal ruling

It could be up to three weeks before McLaren and Red Bull learn the ruling from the hearing into Pierre Gasly’s reinstated podium at Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix. 

On Tuesday, McLaren and Red Bull put their appeals before the FIA’s International Court of Appeal against the decision to overturn Gasly’s time penalty in Monaco. 

Gasly lost his third place after receiving two five-second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane that were applied after the chequered flag. But after it emerged the pit lane length had been measured incorrectly, Alpine successfully appealed the sanction, restoring the Frenchman to the podium. 

Despite the admission that the pitlane infractions were the result of an error, the FIA was powerless to rescind the time penalties issued to other drivers including McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, all of whom served their punishments during the race itself. 

The decision to reinstate Gasly to the podium demoted Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to fourth, and also bumped Piastri down the order to fifth. 

McLaren and Red Bull responded by launching an appeal because the other punished drivers had no opportunity to have their penalties removed. 

McLaren and Red Bull made their case to the court of appeal and were told to expect a verdict from the judges within a couple of weeks, according to BBC Sport. 

The private hearing lasted all day on Tuesday and was attended by representatives from Alpine, Red Bull and McLaren. Officials from the FIA and F1 were also present. 

As such, McLaren, Red Bull, Alpine and the whole of F1 faces a continued wait to learn the final result of a race that took place almost three months ago. 

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained that his side was appealing the Monaco result “with a double intent". 

"We go to the hearing at the International Court of Appeal with a double intent," Stella said on Sunday after the Dutch Grand Prix. "The first intent is more general than the interest of McLaren.

"We think that the process that happened after the race in Monaco needs to be reviewed because from fairness for all competitors, the fact that the penalty was removed introduces some significant elements of concern. And we would like to take the opportunity of the International Court of Appeal for a clarification of this aspect.

"There's obviously more related to this case. It can go into the technical aspects of how the pit limiter speed was calculated. But for me, at a high level, it's more the fairness and the principle that needs to be clarified and possibly reinstated.

"The second aspect is the interest of McLaren ourselves. We were also materially penalised for having served a penalty that is not appealable and this cost us points in the championship.

"So, there's a general interest for Formula 1 and the integrity of the sport. And there's a material interest for McLaren in terms of our championship impact. These are the two points of view, the two perspectives that we would like to pursue and seek clarification for in the coming International Court of Appeal."