The appeals process held up Alpine’s complaint and the result has changed

A controversial penalty for Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix has been overturned, bumping Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar from the podium.

The Frenchman benefited from his compatriot’s time-penalty, served after crossing the line, for speeding in the pitlane. Gasly was one of several drivers to have been found guilty of breaching the 60kph limit in the pits, but the team took issue and appealed the result.

While Gasly finished third on the road, his penalty meant he missed out on the podium, which Hadjar and Red Bull took gladly to claim their second of the campaign.

Alpine’s protest though showed the sport’s governing body had in fact been wrong in the way the speeds were being measured, with notable others like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell also being found guilty, but both served their penalties during the race.

With Gasly and Alpine’s appeal upheld and the penalties overturned, it meant the former Red Bull Racing man, who raced for the Tilbrook team briefly in 2019, was reinstated on the podium ahead of this afternoon’s free practice session for the next race in Barcelona, bumping Hadjar back down to fourth.

“I’m extremely happy for the team,” Gasly said. “We fought for that result, and on Sunday night I felt very low. I had mixed emotions, I was proud of the performance but I was disappointed with the decision, and the injustice.

“I’m proud of F1 and the FIA for their transparency and everyone recognising their responsibilities. We know there is so much at stake, how important things can be. Today, it’s a massive step forwards for our sport.

“It won’t give me back what I missed (the podium celebrations in Monaco) and I’ve accepted that, but as much as I would have like to be up there with the Prince and celebrating with the guys, it won’t happen. That’s how it is, we’ll have to do it another time.”

The change in the result means Gasly jumps Hadjar in the standings, now sitting eighth on 35 points, with Hadjar ninth with 26.