FIA has rejected Alpine’s accusations of bias after the team claimed one of the judges involved in Pierre Gasly’s Monaco appeal was linked to McLaren.
The row stems from the International Court of Appeal’s ruling that restored the penalties handed to Gasly after the Monaco Grand Prix in June, costing the Alpine driver third place on the road. McLaren and Red Bull had both appealed an earlier decision that had initially gone Alpine’s way because of a timing issue.
On Saturday, the governing body responded by insisting the process had been conducted properly. “Aucune objection n’a été soulevée au cours de l’audience concernant la manière dont la cour a interrogé le témoin ou conduit la procédure”, the FIA said in a statement. “La cour a pleinement confiance dans la solidité de la procédure et dans l’intégrité de ses juges.”
Alpine’s criticism was made public on Friday when Flavio Briatore, speaking at a press conference at the Italian Grand Prix, said: “L’un des juges se comporte comme un procureur. Ce n’est pas un gros problème. Le problème, c’est qu’il est très lié à McLaren (…) une équipe qui portait réclamation contre nous”.
Pierre Gasly had originally finished third in Monaco, but was demoted to seventh after two penalties for speeding by 0.1km/h and 0.4km/h in the pit lane. Alpine challenged the sanctions and briefly won that appeal before Red Bull and McLaren took the matter to Paris on 25 August.
The hearing ultimately upheld the original penalties, which meant the podium place was finally awarded to Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, another French driver.