F1 vows pitlane overhaul after Gasly's Monaco podium reinstated over faulty speed measurements

Pierre Gasly has been restored to the Monaco Grand Prix podium after FIA stewards overturned two five-second time penalties imposed on the Alpine driver for speeding in the pitlane, with Formula 1 management acknowledging a measurement discrepancy and vowing to prevent a repeat.

FOM, which is responsible for F1 timekeeping, confirmed that a barrier at Monaco’s pit entry had been repositioned ahead of the 2025 race, allowing drivers to take a shorter route into the pitlane. Because the timing loops used to calculate average speed had not been recalibrated to account for the change, the measured distance across the first of nine loops was up to 77cm shorter than intended — causing cars to appear faster than they actually were. Gasly and four other drivers were incorrectly found to have exceeded the 60km/h pitlane limit and were penalised as a result.

“We measured the relevant areas in the pitlane identically to the 2025 event and followed procedures in the usual way,” FOM said in a statement. “However, the process has identified a measurement discrepancy. Like everyone in the sport we strive for the best results and, as always, any improvements or refinements that are identified as being required in light of this situation will be implemented.”

The driver hit hardest by the error was George Russell. His five-second penalty cascaded into a drive-through when Mercedes failed to serve it during his next pitstop due to a team communication error, ultimately dropping the Briton out of the points entirely.

Not everyone in the paddock is fully sympathetic, however. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu noted that the large majority of the 22-car grid completed the race without any alleged speeding violations, suggesting that teams with sufficient margin through the pitlane — informed by their own free practice data — were unaffected. That view implies some responsibility rests with the teams as well as with the measurement system.

The controversy has nonetheless prompted F1 management to commit to a formal review of pitlane procedures to ensure timing infrastructure is properly recalibrated whenever circuit configurations change, however marginally.