FIA hits back at Briatore bias claims

The FIA has rejected Flavio Briatore's claims that the International Court of Appeal panel that reinstated Pierre Gasly's Monaco penalties was biased against Alpine. The FIA Courts defended the panel's composition and judicial process after Briatore's comments at Monza.

Why it matters:

The dispute has escalated into a direct confrontation between Alpine and the FIA's judicial system. Briatore's allegations strike at the integrity of the sport's governance, while the ruling carried significant consequences — Gasly lost his Monaco podium for a second time, and Isack Hadjar regained his first Red Bull podium finish.

The details:

• Briatore claimed judge Filippo Marchino acted "like a prosecutor" and had undisclosed links to McLaren through the One Drop Foundation and a 2018 Beverly Hills event involving McLaren Special Operations.
• Marchino previously served as CEO of the charity, which received McLaren road cars from late shareholder Mansour Ojjeh for auction.
• The FIA Courts said judges make annual disclosures of interests and sign independence declarations for each case. Parties were invited to raise concerns before and after the hearing — none did.
• McLaren team principal Andrea Stella called the press conference direction "quite insulting" to his team.

The big picture:

The reinstated penalties reshuffled the Monaco results: Hadjar returned to third, Piastri moved back to fourth, and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad returned to fifth and sixth. Red Bull welcomed the decision, praising the FIA's governance framework.

What's next:

With the FIA Courts standing firmly behind their process, attention now shifts to whether Alpine will pursue further action. Briatore's claims have intensified scrutiny on judicial transparency, but the governing body sees no grounds for concern.