News summary
- The FIA said the appointment of the 4 judges who heard Red Bull and McLaren’s appeal was conducted according to its judicial procedures and international conflict-of-interest standards.
- The federation said Alpine, McLaren and Red Bull were given opportunities to raise objections to the procedure or composition of the panel, but none did so during the hearing.
- The statement comes after Flavio Briatore questioned the independence of 1 of the judges following the decision that reinstated Pierre Gasly’s 2 five-second penalties and returned the Monaco podium to Isack Hadjar.
A Federação Internacional de Automobilismo (FIA) se manifestou neste sábado (5) em resposta às acusações de Flavio Briatore de parcialidade no julgamento da Corte de Apelações que deu parecer faThe FIA responded on Saturday (5) to Flavio Briatore’s allegations of partiality following the decision by the FIA International Court of Appeal that reinstated Pierre Gasly’s penalties from the 2026 Monaco GP and returned third place to Isack Hadjar.
In a statement issued on behalf of the FIA Courts, the federation detailed the process used to appoint the judges and emphasized that the parties involved in the case had been given opportunities to raise concerns about both the procedure and the composition of the panel.
The controversy began at the Monaco GP, when Gasly crossed the finish line in third but was handed 2 five-second penalties for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit. The sanctions initially dropped him to seventh, before Alpine successfully requested a review and had the penalties rescinded after arguing that there was an error in the speed measurement. Alpine had cited its own official timing data in support of its case.
Red Bull and McLaren subsequently appealed the decision that had restored Gasly’s podium. The FIA International Court of Appeal heard the case in Paris on August 25 and ultimately granted the appeals, reinstating Gasly’s original penalties. The final ruling returned Hadjar to third and dropped Gasly back to seventh.
The decision was published on Friday (4), during the Italian GP weekend at Monza. Briatore then strongly criticized the process during the official team principals’ press conference, claiming that 1 of the 4 judges had a “very strong” connection to McLaren. The Alpine executive also questioned the judge’s independence and alleged that the individual had previously participated in a McLaren event and had links to a charity supported by the team.
The FIA Courts rejected any suggestion that the panel had been improperly constituted.
“The FIA Courts wish to clarify that the appointment and participation of the judges in this case, as in any other, were conducted in accordance with the applicable FIA judicial procedures and usual practices inspired by the highest standards, such as the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration,” the statement said.
The federation also explained how its judges are selected and the safeguards in place to ensure their independence.
“All judges are elected by the FIA General Assemblies, some of them upon proposal from a group of at least 5 F1 teams, in accordance with the FIA statutes. All are subject to the independence and confidentiality requirements contained in the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, make annual declarations of interests to the FIA Compliance Officer and sign a specific declaration of independence for each individual case, taking into account the matter at stake and the parties involved, which is communicated to the parties,” the statement continued.
The FIA then directly addressed one of the central points raised by Briatore: whether the teams involved had been given the opportunity to object to the panel.
“Both at the beginning and at the conclusion of the hearing, the parties were invited to raise any issue concerning the proceedings or the composition of the Court. None did so. No objection was raised during the hearing concerning the manner in which the Court questioned the witness or conducted the proceedings.”
The FIA also defended the diversity of the appeal panels, arguing that judges from different cultural and geographical backgrounds help strengthen the legitimacy of the process.
“The ICA stresses the importance of forming panels with judges from different cultural and geographical backgrounds. This helps ensure that deliberations and discussions reflect a diversity of legal traditions, perspectives and approaches, further strengthening the fairness, independence and credibility of the process, as well as access to a fair trial,” the statement added.
The federation acknowledged that judicial decisions can be debated but insisted that criticism of the legal merits is different from questioning the integrity of the process.
“A Court’s decision can leave room for various interpretations and comments as to its legal merits; that is fair and accepted by all judges. The Court is confident in the soundness of the proceedings and the integrity of the judges. The FIA Courts remain committed to the independence and impartiality of their judges and to the integrity of the judicial process,” the statement concluded.
The FIA’s response comes one day after Briatore’s accusations triggered a public dispute with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. Stella described the allegations as insulting to McLaren and defended the team’s decision to pursue the appeal on the grounds of regulatory consistency.
The final ruling has already changed the 2026 championship standings. Gasly lost 9 points, while Hadjar, Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad all gained points after the Monaco classification was revised.
The dispute over the judicial process, however, remains separate from the sporting outcome: the FIA says no party raised an objection to the composition of the panel during the hearing, while Briatore has publicly questioned the independence of 1 of its members.
GRANDE PRÊMIO continues to follow all the action from the 2026 Italian GP, the 13th round of the Formula 1 season.
FAQ
1. Why did Pierre Gasly lose his Monaco podium?
Gasly lost his third-place finish after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated his 2 five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding. The decision returned Isack Hadjar to third and moved Gasly to seventh.
2. What did Flavio Briatore accuse the FIA judge of doing?
Briatore alleged that 1 of the 4 judges had links to McLaren and questioned his independence during the appeal. The FIA has not confirmed Briatore’s allegations and instead defended the appointment process and integrity of its judges.
3. Did Alpine, McLaren or Red Bull object to the FIA appeal panel?
According to the FIA Courts, none of the parties raised an objection during the hearing concerning the composition of the panel or the way the proceedings were conducted.
