McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has outlined the two key motivations driving the team’s appeal against the Monaco Grand Prix result at the FIA’s International Court of Appeal.
The hearing, taking place on Tuesday, centres on time penalties issued to several drivers during the Monaco Grand Prix for exceeding pitlane speed limits.
Among those penalised during the race were McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Alpine driver Pierre Gasly, both flagged for pitlane speed infringements.
It later emerged that the infractions were false flags, caused by a timing loop error at the start of Monaco’s distinctive pit entry section.
Most drivers, having already served their penalties during the race, had no avenue to appeal, but Gasly was issued a double five-second time penalty at the flag, dropping him from third to seventh.
Alpine subsequently launched a Right of Review, which led stewards to rescind Gasly’s penalties and restore his podium finish, in turn demoting Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar to fourth and pushing Piastri further down the order.
McLaren and Red Bull both took issue with the rescinding of Gasly’s penalties while other drivers, including Piastri, had no equivalent opportunity to challenge their own punishments.
Stella addressed the hearing directly after the Dutch Grand Prix, explaining that the appeal carries two distinct purposes for the Woking-based team.
“We go to the hearing at the International Court of Appeal with a double intent,” Stella said. “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.”
Stella further expanded on the technical dimensions at play, noting the case could extend into how the pit limiter speed was calculated, but stressed that the broader fairness principle remained the central concern.
The McLaren boss also made clear that the team’s own championship position had been directly affected, adding: “We were also materially penalised for having served a penalty that is not appealable and this cost us points in the championship.”
Stella concluded by summarising the dual nature of the appeal: “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.”
The ICA hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, though proceedings could potentially extend beyond a single day given the complexity of the case.