Late FIA announcement to change race result has 'created a mess'

The FIA and its stewards are not in many team's good books in the Barcelona F1 paddock this weekend after announcing a controversial decision to change a race result.

The seventh round of the championship commenced with the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Friday but the on-track events were overshadowed by the announcement that F1's governing body had made a decision to change the result of the Monaco GP.

Last weekend it was Pierre Gasly who crossed the line in P3 but thanks to a time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, he was demoted to P7.

That meant Red Bull's Isack Hadjar got to bask in the Monaco GP podium glory instead, although he has now been stripped of his points, trophy and third-place finish in the principality.

After Gasly's Alpine F1 team submitted a right of review to the FIA over his speeding penalty, it was confirmed on Friday that they had decided to rescind the penalty and reinstate his podium position, a decision which has not gone down well with just about everyone other than the Enstone squad.

READ MORE: Alonso shocks with 'probably last race' announcement at Barcelona Grand Prix

F1 boss supports Monaco appeal

Though Gasly has now moved up both in the final classification of last weekend's Monaco GP and the 2026 drivers' standings as a result of the FIA's decision, there are many teams and drivers who believe the FIA have opened a very wriggly can of worms by rescinding his penalties.

Gasly was one of six drivers to be handed a penalty for going just 0.1km/h over the 60km/h pitlane limit in Monaco with Mercedes' George Russell and McLaren's Oscar Piastri also serving penalties during the race.

Understandably, team principal Toto Wolff revealed to media on Friday that he had been on the phone to Mercedes lawyers discussing the options to make up for Russell's race-ruining penalties and now Red Bull and McLaren are both set to appeal the FIA's decision regarding Gasly's podium.

Speaking after the final practice session of the Spanish race weekend, Williams boss James Vowles weighed in on the FIA's penalty U-turn, saying: "I’m surprised we have the reinstatement, being frank about it.

"It doesn’t really affect us [Williams] personally, he was ahead of us whichever way you do that, I think it’s more it creates a bit of a mess now.

"What do you do with George? What you do with Piastri, who also in that circumstance should have been on the podium as a result.

"That’s the mess I don’t feel comfortable about."

Turning his attention to the subsequent appeals over the decision that both McLaren and Red Bull are considering submitting, Vowles said: "For good reason. I would support them in that."

Sky Sport's F1's Martin Brundle and Jacques Villeneuve also agreed the decision was heading into 'dangerous territory' and that the FIA were 'playing with fire', especially considering F1 has admitted the measurement used to determine pitlane speeding was inaccurate in Monaco.

F1 HEADLINES: Monaco Grand Prix result could change again as Mercedes call in the lawyers

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