Stella fumes at 'insulting' Briatore allegations after Alpine lose podium

Andrea Stella has accused Flavio Briatore of "insulting" McLaren by questioning a judge's independence at the FIA's International Court of Appeal, after Gasly's Monaco podium was stripped.

Why it matters:

This dispute goes beyond two points. Briatore's allegations strike at the integrity of F1's judicial process, questioning whether teams can get a fair hearing at the sport's highest court.

The details:

• Gasly dropped from third to seventh after two five-second pit-lane speeding penalties in Monaco were reinstated.
• Red Bull's Hadjar inherits the podium; McLaren's Piastri moves up to fourth.
• Briatore claimed one of the four judges had a "working relationship" with McLaren, citing a 2018 charity event where McLaren cars were donated.
• He said the judge "acted like a prosecutor" and was "very nasty" to Alpine, adding the team was "thinking about" legal action.
• Stella fired back: "I find that this conference is going in this direction quite insulting for McLaren, for the reputation of a team that deserves a lot of respect."
• He warned that anyone making such allegations "will have to take responsibility for what they are saying in a public forum."

Between the lines:

Stella insisted McLaren's appeal was never about the two points gained by Piastri's promotion. He framed it as a matter of "sporting equality and fairness," noting all teams attended the hearing.

What's next:

The FIA has yet to respond, though Sky Sports News understands the governing body is confident in the court's independence. Alpine's threat of legal action adds uncertainty, while attention shifts to Monza.