An alleged speeding violation in the pit lane cost Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly a podium finish in Monaco. But now it emerged: the FIA had misjudged itself.
After the successful appeal of his Formula 1 racing team Alpine, the French driver Pierre Gasly has his third place at the Monaco Grand Prix reinstated. The two five-second penalties imposed on Gasly in the Principality for allegedly driving too fast in the pit lane were withdrawn after a hearing and because of a miscalculation of just 77 centimeters.
Isack Hadjar from Red Bull, who was subsequently ranked third last Sunday, loses his podium place.
0.1 km/h too fast?
During the race in the Principality there were numerous time penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Gasly wasn’t the only one accused of driving more than the prescribed speed of 60 km/h. In almost all cases the excess was 0.1 km/h.
Unlike his competitors, the Frenchman did not serve his sentence. Therefore, his case could be re-investigated after Alpine’s immediate protest against his transfer to seventh place.
Racing team provides evidence of rule-compliant driving
The racing team was now able to prove before the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix that Gasly had not exceeded the speed limit. The world motorsport association FIA had calculated the official measuring zone in the pit lane to be 77 centimeters too long due to changed route restrictions.
If we use this distance as the basis for Gasly’s two disputed cases, he was always within the legal range at 58.7 km/h and 58.8 km/h. So the 30-year-old was able to celebrate the sixth podium of his career. He finished behind Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari).