Pierre Gasly has lost his Monaco Grand Prix podium for a second time after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated two five-second penalties, handing third place back to Isack Hadjar and dropping the Alpine driver to seventh in the official classification.
The decision, published on 4 September immediately ahead of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, brings another dramatic turn to one of Formula 1’s most unusual post-race disputes of the season. McLaren and Red Bull had appealed the earlier ruling that removed Gasly’s penalties and restored his third-place finish.
FIA court reinstates Gasly’s Monaco penalties
The FIA’s International Court of Appeal decision upheld the appeals lodged by McLaren and Red Bull and set aside the stewards’ 12 June decisions that had previously removed the sanctions.
As a result, Gasly’s two five-second penalties have been reimposed. The sporting authority has been instructed to amend the Monaco Grand Prix classification and the corresponding championship points. The restored order places Isack Hadjar third, Oscar Piastri fourth, Liam Lawson fifth, Arvid Lindblad sixth and Gasly seventh.
For a Grand Prix result to be changed months after the chequered flag is already unusual. For the same podium place to change hands more than once through the judicial process makes this an exceptional case even by Formula 1 standards.
The extraordinary Monaco sequence
The controversy has now moved through a remarkable chain of decisions. Gasly was initially hit with two five-second penalties following the Monaco Grand Prix, which cost him the podium and moved Hadjar into third.
A subsequent Right of Review overturned those penalties, restoring Gasly to third place and pushing Hadjar back out of the podium positions. McLaren and Red Bull then challenged that outcome through the FIA appeal process.
The International Court of Appeal has now reversed that position again. The original penalties stand, Gasly is seventh and Hadjar is once more officially classified third.
Timing system and appeal process now under wider review
The classification change is only part of the story. The FIA has also confirmed that it is reviewing the methodology and operation of Formula 1’s timing system, together with related regulations and aspects of the Right of Review and appeal procedures.
That widens the significance of the Monaco dispute considerably. Rather than being treated simply as a disagreement over one driver’s penalties, the case has exposed questions over how timing information is produced, interpreted and challenged within Formula 1’s sporting and judicial framework.
Any changes that emerge from that review could therefore have consequences beyond Monaco, particularly where automated or electronically recorded timing data forms a critical part of future stewarding decisions.
Alpine disappointed but accepts the ruling
Alpine has responded with disappointment and frustration, maintaining that Gasly did not exceed the pit-lane speed limit during the race while acknowledging the decision reached by the judging panel in Paris.
The team says it will now refocus on improving its on-track performance and its championship objectives rather than allowing the Monaco outcome to distract from the remainder of the season.
Hadjar’s podium restored ahead of Monza
The ruling arrives at an awkward point in the calendar, just as Formula 1 prepares for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Hadjar’s restored Monaco podium now forms part of his official 2026 record, while Alpine loses the points associated with Gasly’s previously reinstated third place.
Hadjar is already a major talking point heading into the Italian weekend. Tech Torque Media reported earlier today that Hadjar has been ruled out of the Italian Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson remaining at Red Bull for Monza.
The wider race-weekend picture is covered in our 2026 Italian Grand Prix preview. Readers can also find the rest of our season coverage in the Tech Torque Media Formula 1 Archive.
Tech Torque Verdict
This is far more significant than a late correction to an old race result. The FIA International Court of Appeal has changed a Formula 1 podium and championship points months after Monaco, while the controversy has also triggered a broader examination of the timing and judicial systems behind the dispute.
For Gasly and Alpine, the immediate consequence is clear: the Monaco podium is gone again. For Hadjar, third place is restored. But the longer-term story may be what the FIA changes after reviewing how Formula 1 arrived at this situation in the first place.
