McLaren boss calls for FIA changes after Pierre Gasly podium saga
Stella was forced to defend his team.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella said there needed to be changes to the Right of Review system following a lengthy process which ultimately saw Pierre Gasly lose his Monaco podium.
Following a successful FIA International Court of Appeal from McLaren and Red Bull, Pierre Gasly’s previously rescinded Monaco GP time penalties were reinstated.
McLaren’s Andrea Stella asks for FIA changes
In a fiery press conference that saw Alpine boss Flavio Briatore accuse one of the judges of a McLaren bias, Stella was forced to defend his team against what he described as “insulting” accusations.
Afterwards, he was asked by PlanetF1.com on what the protracted process, which finished three months after the chequered flag was waved in Monaco, meant for the Right of Review system.
“I think in the statement of the FIA it’s highlighted how this was a case that will bring some positive outcome, because it will give the drive to review some of the ways in which regulations are enforced,” he said. “I think there are a couple of points.
“I think one is certainly in the declaration of the FIA. First of all, the stewards, they do a difficult job. They have to make decisions within a limited time frame. We know as competitors what it means when time is a variable, when pressure is up. The stewards won’t be different. It won’t be different for them.
“So, I think there’s a point related to the decisions of the stewards and to the job they do. Actually, we’ve been in discussion before with the FIA in relation to that, and we’ve always been very supportive of giving the stewards the best conditions to succeed in their work. The second topic is, in my view, the Right of Review.
“I think we need to consider the conditions in which a Right of Review should be received and should go ahead, and when that is not the case.
“And there is a third point, it’s also very well described in the 29 pages of the decision, which has to do with the consistency in the application of a methodology used for measurements.
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“There are many things we measure: the speed in pit lane; likewise, we use scales to measure car weight. So, there are many measurements that happen, and I think there’s an interesting topic related to the consistency of this sort of measurement.
“For me, these are the three things that I would suggest are reviewed.”
Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur, who at times felt like a bystander to the Briatore-Stella debate, preferred not to weigh in too much but also suggested that the process should be looked at.
“I’m not sure that I want to go on this field, but to come back on the Right of Review, I think it’s not an appeal.
“The right of review is that when you have new evidence, because quite often when you are going to the stewards 30 minutes after the end of the session, we didn’t have time to look after the data, but the same for the stewards.
“And to reopen the case the week after, when you have access to new evidence from video, from data and so on, I think the process is quite robust. It’s working pretty well.
“This case, honestly, I was a little bit on both sides because I can understand the frustration when you are not overshooting the limit to get the penalty, and I can understand also the fact that if someone served the penalty, it has to be for everybody.
“Now, I think this case, it happened once. I hope that it won’t happen again, but the process is quite robust.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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