Mercedes Withdraws Appeal Over Gasly's Reinstated Monaco Podium

Mercedes has withdrawn its right of review request over the Monaco Grand Prix result, ending its bid to overturn Pierre Gasly's reinstated podium. The decision follows Alpine's successful appeal, which proved the pit lane distance was measured incorrectly and led to Gasly's penalties being rescinded.

Why it matters:

The withdrawal leaves George Russell's lost podium points unrecovered and preserves a significant championship blow for Mercedes. It also underscores the stiff legal bar for reopening a race classification, even when fresh evidence suggests the circuit's own data was flawed.

The details:

• Alpine demonstrated that Monaco's pit lane distance was wrong, meaning speeding calculations were inaccurate. Stewards accepted this as a "significant and relevant new element" and wiped out Gasly's two five-second penalties, restoring his third-place finish.
• Russell fell to 12th after a drive-through penalty for failing to serve his five-second stop correctly, costing Mercedes 15 points and a likely podium.
• Mercedes had argued the incorrect distance and Gasly's reinstatement were new evidence that could alter Russell's classification.
• Toto Wolff admitted the appeal was a "long shot" and warned it risked opening a "can of worms" across the final standings.

What's next:

McLaren and Red Bull are continuing their separate challenges, escalating Gasly's case to the FIA International Court of Appeal in Paris. With Mercedes stepping aside, an independent panel will now decide whether Alpine's evidence stands—a ruling that could establish an important precedent for how technical measurement errors are handled in Formula 1.