The outcome of last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix has been thrown into fresh uncertainty after Alpine successfully passed the first stage of their Right of Review application. The team triggered the process regarding two penalties issued to driver Pierre Gasly for pit lane speeding during the race.
Gasly's Penalties and Initial Reaction
Gasly was penalised twice for exceeding the 60kph pit lane speed limit by less than 0.5kph. He crossed the line third on the road, believing he had secured a podium for Alpine. However, his second five-second penalty relegated him to seventh in the final standings. Gasly described the situation as "unfair," prompting Alpine to seek a review.
New Evidence Presented
To advance the Right of Review, Alpine needed to present new and relevant evidence unavailable to stewards at the time. The team argued that while the FIA and Formula One Management knew of a problem with timing loops in the pit lane before the race, the stewards were not informed. This constitutes fresh evidence.
Alpine also submitted data confirming Gasly activated his speed limiter before pit entry and a witness statement from the Frenchman stating he adopted a cautious approach after being alerted by his engineers. Crucially, Formula One Management provided evidence that the distance between timing loops was inaccurate, causing Gasly's speed to be overestimated.
Next Steps and Potential Impact
The matter now moves to a second hearing where Alpine will argue the penalties should be quashed. If successful, the race result could be revised, potentially angering other teams that received similar penalties. George Russell, who also faced a speeding penalty, failed to serve his correctly and received a drive-through, falling outside the points. How that situation will be resolved remains unclear.
