Formula 1 had a Tuesday marked by fresh developments surrounding the Monaco Grand Prix. Following the annulment of Pierre Gasly’s penalties, McLaren and Red Bull decided to officially appeal the race result, taking the case to the FIA International Court of Appeal.
McLaren argued that a retrospective review of the penalties could create an unfair playing field, since other competitors served penalties during the race under the rules in force at the time. Red Bull followed suit, especially after Isack Hadjar lost the podium when Gasly was reinstated to third.
The case is gaining momentum also because Mercedes had already voiced dissatisfaction with the penalties’ impact on George Russell. Consequently, the Monaco result remains unresolved behind the scenes, even after the following round in Barcelona.
Away from the legal dispute, Aston Martin also stood out. The team is working to introduce a substantially redesigned version of the AMR26 later this season, possibly after the summer break, in an effort to respond to the underwhelming performance shown so far. Fernando Alonso again criticized the car’s limitations and the power unit.
Another important topic concerned Max Verstappen. After the Barcelona GP, the chances increased that the Dutch driver would finish outside the top-2 in the standings before the summer break, a scenario that could facilitate an early departure from Red Bull through a contractual clause.
Haas also moved the headlines by announcing a test with Leonardo Fornaroli, Formula 2 champion and current McLaren reserve. The Italian will drive the VF-25 in Jerez, as part of the test program with cars from previous seasons.
