McLaren and Red Bull launch appeals as Gasly Monaco podium controversy explodes

Five days after the Monaco Grand Prix, stewards accepted Alpine's petition for review and reinstated Gasly to third place following a virtual hearing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The Frenchman had originally crossed the line third but was dropped to seventh after receiving two five-second penalties for pit lane speeding.

The dramatic reversal came after Formula One admitted a timing system error linked to modifications made to the Monaco pit lane. Stewards subsequently rescinded both penalties after determining the measurements used to calculate Gasly's speed were inaccurate.

The decision reshuffled the final classification and stripped points from several rivals, immediately sparking plans for further legal action.

Constructors' Champions McLaren confirmed they had lodged an intention to appeal the decision, while Red Bull are expected to follow the same route.

Gasly's reinstatement pushed Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar from third to fourth place. McLaren's Oscar Piastri dropped to fifth, Liam Lawson slipped to sixth and Arvid Lindblad fell to seventh.

The ruling has also reignited frustrations among teams and drivers who accepted pit lane penalties during the race without pursuing a review.

Among them was Mercedes driver George Russell, whose drive-through penalty for failing to serve the initial 5s penalty, destroyed his race and left him outside the points. Russell revealed in Barcelona that he had argued for his sanction to be converted into a post-race time penalty specifically to preserve the possibility of an appeal.

Before the stewards' verdict was announced, Russell warned it would be a "kick in the balls" if Gasly's penalties were overturned.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted the team had already sought legal advice as they evaluate whether Russell's result can be revisited.

Wolff said: "Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don't think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before.

"I think we have some timing limitations and some other legal constraints, but definitely we have a reason to be annoyed," the Austrian added.

The stewards acknowledged the wider consequences of the timing error.

In their decision document they noted: "Some drivers served penalties during the race and this, regrettably, impacted their race strategies and therefore their race result."

However, they also made clear there was no mechanism to reverse penalties already served.

"There is no regulation that gives the stewards the power to 'undo' a served penalty. In any case, it is impossible to imagine how such power could be applied," the FIA added.

Gasly maintained throughout the Monaco weekend that he had not exceeded the speed limit.

The Alpine driver was visibly devastated after losing what appeared to be a maiden Monaco podium finish.

Following Sunday's race he said he was heartbroken "to have a lifelong dream of a Monaco podium taken away from me for reasons which I just cannot comprehend".

Alpine's review request centered on evidence showing Gasly activated his speed limiter before entering the pit lane and remained within the 60kph limit.

The official timing system had recorded speeds of 60.1kph and 60.4kph, resulting in the two penalties.

One of the most contentious aspects of the case concerns when officials became aware of potential problems with the timing system.

In its submission, Alpine argued that both the FIA and Formula One Management were aware before the race that issues existed with the pit lane timing loops. The team claimed that information was never passed to the stewards.

The stewards revealed they had already become suspicious during the race after three separate pit lane speeding offences were recorded at exactly 60.1kph.

Race control was questioned about the integrity of the system at the time, but officials were informed there were no known issues.

Only on the Wednesday after the race did Formula One Management provide confirmation that an inaccurate distance measurement had affected the calculations.

Formula One defended its handling of the matter but acknowledged lessons would be learned.

A spokesperson said: "Any improvements or refinements that are identified as being required in light of this situation will be implemented."

The fallout from Monaco is now far from over. With McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes all exploring their options, Formula 1's most controversial podium finish of 2026 could still face another twist before the legal dust settles.