Mercedes have withdrawn their request for a right of review into the Monaco Grand Prix result after Alpine’s successful appeal saw Pierre Gasly reinstated to the podium.
Gasly was one of five drivers – including Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Mercedes’ George Russell – who received five-second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane.
In the case of Russell, he failed to serve his five-second time penalty correctly at a pit stop, so was handed a drive-through penalty which saw him drop to 12th when he was on course for a likely podium.
But, unlike the other drivers, Gasly did not serve his two five-second penalties for speeding at a pit stop and 10 seconds were added to his finishing time, which originally demoted him from third to seventh.
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Watch all of George Russell’s unlucky moments so far this 2026 Formula 1 season.
Alpine appealed the penalties and provided evidence that Monaco’s pit lane distance was incorrect, thus the drivers’ speed was also being measured incorrectly.
The stewards regarded this evidence as a “significant and relevant new element” so Gasly’s penalties were rescinded.
As for Russell, he and Mercedes lost 15 points in their championship fights and the Silver Arrows believe the pit lane distance, plus Gasly’s penalties being overturned, is new evidence that could change the race classification.
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Anthony Davidson was at the SkyPad to explain why George Russell was given a drive-through penalty for not serving a previous speeding penalty.
The FIA had announced on Wednesday that the first stage of the right of review would be held on Saturday morning, but on Thursday evening the FIA announced that Mercedes’ request had been withdrawn.
Sky Sports News have contacted Mercedes for comment.
McLaren and Red Bull chose a different route, submitting appeals over Gasly’s reinstatement with the FIA International Court of Appeal – where an independent panel will review their cases in Paris.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has said at last weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix that he thought any success from the appeal was a “long shot”.
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Oscar Piastri believes an ‘awkward precedent’ was set after Pierre Gasly’s Monaco penalty was overturned.
“We wrote to the FIA for a right of review as well. To be honest, I’m not sure if this is a realistic outcome because you open up a can of worms,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
“Normally if you have a drive-through penalty and you don’t do it, it’s 20 seconds [added after the race] and those 20 seconds would put George back to P4.
“But what are all the other consequences? I don’t think this will hold with the judges but we have to do it for George’s benefit.”
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