Pierre Gasly claims he was robbed of a Monaco podium after a pit lane speed penalty pushed him from third on the road to seventh overall.
Alpine Calls for FIA Right of Review
The BWT Alpine Formula One Team lodged a request for a Right of Review, demanding the FIA reconsider the 10‑second penalty that had been added for exceeding the pit lane limit twice.
Alpine’s statement affirmed that its protest focuses on the speed‑limit enforcement, stating, “After the result of today’s Monaco Grand Prix, BWT Alpine Formula One Team can confirm it has requested a Right of Review from the FIA following the penalties applied for pit lane speeding.”
Pit Lane Speed Rules and the Monaco Scenario
Gasly’s second infringement came in a densely packed field behind the safety car; both laps lifted the car merely under 1 km/h above the 60 kph limit, yet the average‑speed check triggered the penalty.
Franco Colapinto, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, and George Russell also received speed‑limit penalties. Hamilton, classified second, managed to serve his time‑penalty during a later safety‑car pit stop, whereas gasly’s penalties came after the wave‑off bell, erasing his podium position.
“I know for a fact that what’s in the car is below the 60 kph, and I know on both occasions I’ve put it way before the line,” Gasly told Motorsport.com, underscoring that the pit‑lane limiter was set to the simplest configuration possible.
Historical Precedents and Pit Exit Confusions
FIA calculates average speeds via transponders and embedded timing loops, not a single “speed gun,” to prevent exploitation. The system has produced odd cases, such as Sebastian Vettel’s 2009 Singapore penalty, later contested with alternative pit‑entry lines.
Drivers were warned regarding “cutting the line around the Cadillac area,” a comment linked to the altered pit‑exit that curving left toward the exit, tempting pilots to cross the fast‑lane border.
Alpine’s Hurdles – Winning the Review
Securing a successful review demands “a significant and relevant new element” of evidence unavailable to stewards at the time of the decision. With the FIA already discussing pit‑lane configuration pre‑race, Alpine’s task appears daunting.
The team must provide data proving a true speed violation unaddressed by the original monitoring, whereas the current average‑speed method could misclassify a car that strays slightly off line.
Alpine’s pursuit of justice will hinge on revealing new evidence that the pit‑lane speed limit enforcement misjudged Gasly’s laps, a goal that may prove almost impossible amid the FIA’s stringent review thresholds.
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