FIA's Court of Appeal rejects Briatore's bias claims over Monaco GP judges

The FIA’s International Court of Appeal has issued a formal statement rejecting allegations of bias made by Alpine executive chairman Flavio Briatore, who claimed a judge on the Monaco Grand Prix appeal panel had improper links to McLaren.

The ICA, which operates independently of the FIA and serves as motorsport’s highest judicial body, was convened after McLaren and Red Bull appealed the stewards’ decision to rescind Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix penalties. Gasly had been among several drivers incorrectly penalised for pitlane speeding, initially losing his podium finish before Alpine secured a successful right of review. Because other penalised drivers had already served their punishments — unlike Gasly — their penalties could not be similarly overturned, prompting McLaren and Red Bull to appeal. The ICA sided with the appellants and reinstated Gasly’s penalties.

Briatore responded with a public broadside at the Italian Grand Prix press conference, questioning the integrity of the panel and singling out judge Filippo Marchino. Briatore alleged that Marchino’s connection to the One Drop Foundation — a charity founded by Cirque du Soleil creator Guy Laliberte — constituted a conflict of interest, given that the foundation had once received several McLaren road cars from late McLaren shareholder Mansour Ojjeh for auction purposes. Briatore also pointed to Marchino’s appearance as a speaker at a 2018 McLaren Special Operations event in Beverly Hills, an occasion unrelated to the Formula 1 team.

The ICA addressed those claims directly in its statement, asserting that all appointments were made in line with established judicial procedures and international arbitration standards.

“The FIA Courts are aware of public comments questioning the independence and impartiality of the judges of the panel that decided Case ICA-2026-06-07-08-09,” the court said. “The FIA Courts wish to make clear that the appointment and participation of the judges in that case, like for any other case, were conducted in accordance with the applicable FIA judicial procedures and usual practice, which are inspired by the highest standards like the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration.”

The statement added that all ICA judges are elected by FIA General Assemblies, with some nominated by a group of at least five Formula 1 teams under FIA statutes, and that all are bound by independence and confidentiality obligations.

The dispute underlines the ongoing tension surrounding the Monaco penalty saga, which has reverberated through the paddock well beyond the race weekend itself. Alpine’s frustration at losing Gasly’s podium for a second time has been palpable, but the ICA’s response signals that the court considers the matter of its own conduct closed.