Briatore accuses Monaco appeal judge of McLaren ties in fiery Monza press conference

Flavio Briatore launched a public broadside at the FIA’s International Court of Appeal on Friday at Monza, claiming one of the judges who reinstated Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix penalties had a close relationship with McLaren — an accusation that drew an immediate and pointed response from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella in the same press conference.

The dispute traces back to the Monaco Grand Prix, where Gasly and several other drivers were penalised for exceeding the pitlane speed limit. The penalties were later found to stem from an incorrect measurement by FOM, and the FIA race stewards agreed to rescind Gasly’s punishment, restoring him to third place. McLaren and Red Bull subsequently appealed that decision, arguing the other penalised drivers had already served their penalties without the same opportunity for review. The FIA’s International Court of Appeal ultimately ruled in favour of the appellants, reinstating Gasly’s two five-second penalties and dropping him to seventh, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar reclaiming a podium position.

Alpine had already issued a statement expressing “disappointment and frustration” with the ruling, but Briatore went considerably further at the Monza media briefing. He singled out Italian-American judge Filippo Marchino, claiming the panellist had behaved more like a prosecutor than an impartial adjudicator.

“It was four judges, and this one was really a prosecutor against the FIA, against us, against FOM,” Briatore said. “Afterwards we found out what is the reason why this guy was so nasty. It’s very linked with McLaren. We have a nice picture of this guy [giving a] speech for McLaren in 2018 at MSO Beverly Hills. He has a foundation, it’s called One Drop Foundation and McLaren gave two or three McLaren cars, and this was quite unfair.”

Briatore was careful to state that Alpine accepts the ruling, but insisted the principle of judicial independence had been compromised. “The judge normally needs to be independent completely,” he added.

Stella, seated alongside Briatore during the press conference, was visibly unsettled by the allegations and pushed back firmly. “I find that this conference is going in a direction that is quite insulting for McLaren, for the reputation of a team that deserves a lot of respect,” Stella said. “And if anybody makes these kinds of allegations, which seem quite serious, they are going to have to take the responsibility for what they are saying in a public forum.”

The exchange marks a significant escalation in what had already been a protracted and contentious post-Monaco legal process, and raises questions about how the FIA manages potential conflicts of interest within its judicial panels.