Briatore lashes out at FIA judge over Gasly's Monaco penalties: “This is very unfair”

Incredible timing put Briatore and Stella in the same room just after a controversial decision | Credit: FIA

Just ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the International Court of Appeal decided that Isack Hadjar’s Monaco Grand Prix podium will be reinstated. The prior decision that promoted Pierre Gasly to P3, was turned around. 

The team principal press conference took place shortly after this announcement, and tensions were high. Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s team principal, doesn’t agree with the ruling: “This is very unfair. But you know, we accept the decision, but what is very strange was four judges in the panel. One of the judges act like a prosecutor. 

“This is not a big problem. The problem is he’s very linked with the McLaren company, because we have a nice picture of this guy at a speech for McLaren in 2018 in MSO, Beverly Hills. He has a foundation, it’s called One Drop foundation, and McLaren gave two, three McLaren cars. This was quite unfair. One of the judges was linked with a team which was processing us.”

McLaren’s Andrea Stella didn’t want to escalate the matter: “My reaction is about the decision of the International Court of Appeal. If we want to talk about that, then I’m happy to comment. We have just released also a statement. If you want to talk about this kind of allegations, then I think that’s not convenient.

“It’s a decision that definitely we welcome. It’s very important. It’s important because, first of all, it adds clarity in relation to the application of Article 1.1.1 of the International Sporting Code of the FIA, which is foundational – foundational for anything that derives from there. We appealed because we wanted to make sure that this clarity was sought. 

“We had concerns, which were beyond the fact that we might have lost two championship points. Probably these two championship points are not going to make any difference. We were concerned about the application of sporting equality and fairness, and this is important. And this is not only important for McLaren. 

“In fact, not only Red Bull applied, but all teams were present in the hearing because this was a very important moment, I would say, in terms of clarification as to how we apply the rules, as to how we apply consistency, and also, in the specific case, consistency is related to the methodologies that are valid through a race weekend.”

Hadjar got his third place back | Credit: Formula One

Briatore still feels the decision wasn’t made fairly: “Very nice talking about the point one, one, P2, three, P, P, P, but what is unfair is some judge was linked with McLaren. This is unfair. 

“The judge normally needs to be independent, completely. And this judge, the name is, it’s kind of an Italian name, but he’s American, Filippo Marchino. Filippo Marchino is a judge, he was very nasty during the hearing, was acting as a prosecutor. And after, we found out what is the reason why so nasty, this guy. He is very linked with McLaren. This I notice. 

“So whatever Stella said, for the sport, for this, first I think someone, where you have the judgement, the judge needs to be independent. And not somebody doing the speech for McLaren and somebody using the McLaren car in the charity. This is the point. After that, the point one, one, three, two, four, five, I don’t care. I care… I’m very surprised this guy have the link with McLaren.”

Finally, Frédéric Vasseur was asked for his opinion, as he wasn’t involved in the matter: “Well, first, I think it was not an easy case to judge. I can understand the frustration from everybody. For the rest of the discussion, I will let Andrea and Flavio discuss together. 

“But no, I think it was not easy. We paid the penalty in Monaco also with Lewis and a little bit with Charles. But I can understand the frustration because we didn’t have the feeling to speed into the pit lane. For the rest, it’s their discussion.”

Despite their problems with the judge, Alpine never objected when he was selected, and Briatore explains why: “We have no idea this guy was linked with McLaren. We go to the hearing with McLaren and we see it was very funny because this judge was not a judge, he was a prosecutor. 

“It was four judges. This one was really a prosecutor against the FIA, against to us, against to FOM. I mean, after that we found out, after the meeting, logically, not before, we found out this guy was linked with the McLaren team. This is what I think. So. it’s quite unfair if some of the judges is linked with one of the teams that is fighting with us.”

Stella doesn’t like where this is going and ends the discussion: “I find that this conference going in this direction is quite insulting for McLaren, for the reputation of a team that deserves a lot of respect. And if anybody makes these kind of allegations – which seem quite serious – they are going to have to take the responsibility for what they are saying in a public forum. 

“The hearing, the whole International Court of Appeal, was conducted to the highest standards and we should not question this phase like it’s been done.”