Alpine F1 has formally requested a Right of Review from the FIA regarding the penalties issued during the Monaco Grand Prix that stripped Pierre Gasly of a potential podium finish. The team “strongly disagree” with the stewards’ decisions, which they believe stem from a systemic issue with how pit lane speed is measured on the unique Monaco circuit.

Gasly initially crossed the finish line in third position, a significant achievement for the French driver and the Alpine team. However, he was subsequently handed two separate five-second time penalties for fractionally exceeding the 60kph pit lane speed limit. These penalties ultimately demoted him to seventh in the final classification.

The issue was not isolated to Gasly. His team-mate Franco Colapinto also received a five-second penalty for the same infraction. Furthermore, several other prominent drivers, including:

• George Russell
• Lewis Hamilton
• Oscar Piastri

were similarly penalised for pit lane speeding during the race. Across the board, these infringements were measured at less than 1kph over the stipulated limit, suggesting a potential flaw in the enforcement mechanism rather than widespread driver error.

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Monaco’s pit entry geometry under scrutiny

The core of Alpine’s dispute centres on the method of pit lane speed enforcement and how it interacts with the specific geometry of the Monaco pit entry. Pit lane speed is calculated as an average, determined by measuring the time a car takes to travel between two fixed timing points along the pit lane. The system divides this reference distance by the elapsed time to calculate the average speed.

However, the unique layout of Monaco’s pit entry allows drivers to cut across the entry line, effectively shortening the actual distance travelled between the two timing points. When a car covers less ground in the same amount of time, the system can artificially inflate its recorded average speed. This phenomenon, Alpine suggests, could push the calculated figure marginally over 60kph, even when a driver has correctly engaged their pit limiter.

Briatore: “Strong case for review”

Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore voiced the team’s frustration following the race. “After a great start from Pierre that put us in seventh place, the race was looking promising. In spite of the great restart after the red flag and Pierre finishing third on the road, we saw the result being taken away by two penalties, which we strongly disagree with. These penalties were inflicted to at least four teams on the grid, which makes it a strong case for review,” Briatore stated, as reported by RacingNews365.

A Right of Review is a formal process requiring a team to present a significant and relevant new element of evidence that was not available to the stewards at the time of their original decision. The threshold for such a review is deliberately high, and while Alpine is determined to challenge the outcome, a change to the race result remains unlikely.

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Despite the setback, Alpine currently maintains fifth position in the constructors’ championship. Briatore affirmed the team’s focus on future performance, adding, “We maintain fifth position in the constructors’ championship, and we are determined to keep the teams’ positive momentum in Barcelona and at the upcoming races with more performance and updates being brought to the car.”

Sources: racingnews365.com

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