Briatore accuses McLaren-linked judge of bias in Gasly appeal

Flavio Briatore has accused a judge in Pierre Gasly's Monaco appeal of being "very linked" to McLaren, after Alpine lost its bid to keep a podium finish. The Alpine adviser claims the judge acted as a prosecutor during the hearing and had a working relationship with the team, citing a photo from a 2018 McLaren charity event.

Why it matters:

The accusation challenges the impartiality of the FIA's judicial process. If a judge in a case involving McLaren is perceived to have ties to the team, it raises serious questions about the integrity of decisions that can reshape championship outcomes. The Monaco ruling already had major implications, moving Isack Hadjar to his first podium and dropping Gasly from third to seventh.

The details:

• Gasly originally finished third in Monaco but was demoted to seventh after two post-race time penalties for exceeding the pit lane speed limit.
• Alpine's right to review initially reinstated the podium, but Red Bull and McLaren appealed, leading to Friday's FIA International Court of Appeal ruling.
• The court reinstated Hadjar to third, promoted Oscar Piastri to fourth, and left Gasly seventh.
• Briatore said one of the four judges was "very nasty" and acted as a prosecutor, not a judge.
• He claimed they later discovered the judge was "very linked" to McLaren, referencing a photo of the judge at McLaren's One Drop Foundation event in 2018, where the team gave a car.
• Briatore stressed Alpine accepts the decision but called the judge's connection "quite unfair."

What's next:

Briatore did not rule out further legal action, saying Alpine is thinking about its options after the Italian Grand Prix weekend. The controversy could also intensify scrutiny on how FIA judges are selected and whether potential conflicts of interest are properly vetted.