Briatore takes aim at McLaren and 'nasty' judge after Pierre Gasly ruling

At Monza this weekend, before the Italian Grand Prix lights went out, a sheet of A4 paper became the center of attention in the paddock. Flavio Briatore, Alpine's executive advisor, walked into the press conference with a carefully prepared statement — not about speed or strategy, but about a bigger question: the integrity of the FIA's judicial system. The matter stems from the Monaco Grand Prix, where Pierre Gasly finished third. But the joy was short-lived as the French driver received two five-second penalties for pit lane speeding, dropping him to seventh. Alpine appealed and successfully reinstated the result, but McLaren and Red Bull immediately protested. The FIA International Court of Appeal subsequently overturned Alpine's decision, handing third place back to Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and moving Oscar Piastri up to fourth. Briatore did not stop at defending his team's result. He accused one of the four judges, Filippo Marchino, of having a 'working relationship' with McLaren. Specifically, Briatore alleged McLaren provided 'two or three cars' to the One Drop Foundation charity, where Marchino serves as a director. He also mentioned a photo of Marchino speaking at a McLaren event in Beverly Hills in 2026, describing the judge as having 'acted like a prosecutor' and being 'very nasty' during the hearing. In my 44 years of following racing, I have witnessed no shortage of bias allegations. But what makes this case unique is not the nature of the accusation, but the person making it. Briatore was once handed a lifetime F1 ban for fixing the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, before the ban was overturned. A man with such a past attacking a judge, whether right or wrong, will always be viewed through a lens of skepticism. McLaren's response was far more calculated. Team principal Andrea Stella did not engage with the substance of the allegations. Instead, he focused on process: 'The hearing was conducted to the highest standards,' Stella asserted. He called the accusations 'insulting' and warned Briatore would have to 'take responsibility' for his words. This is a classic crisis management strategy: don't debate the specifics, defend the integrity of the process — which is far harder to attack than outcomes. From a data perspective, there is not a single number to analyze in this case. But looking closer, there is a notable signal: Gasly being penalized twice for pit lane speeding at Monaco suggests a systemic issue, not just individual error. Monaco's pit lane is short and narrow, with a speed limit of only 60 km/h. Two consecutive violations hint at a calibration error in Alpine's speed limiter system, or a serious procedural failure. This is a detail the media may have missed amid the legal battle. Another blind spot: this fight is not merely about a podium position. In the Constructors' Championship, the difference between third and seventh place can be worth tens of millions of dollars in FOM prize money. This explains why Alpine, McLaren, and Red Bull fought so fiercely through multiple appeal levels. A single podium can change an entire season financially. Briatore is playing a high-stakes game. If he has evidence — the Beverly Hills photo, for instance — then the FIA faces a genuine crisis of confidence. If not, he will face legal and disciplinary consequences. The FIA has yet to respond officially, and this silence could be strategic, or a sign of embarrassment. At 60, I have seen too many accusations without evidence. Data is never in a hurry, but people always are. The question is not whether Briatore is right or wrong, but whether the FIA is transparent enough to dispel this shadow of bias, or will let it cling to the sport's reputation for the rest of the season.