The FIA court of appeal has refuted a claim by Alpine boss Flavio Briatore, which it stated "question the independence and impartiality of the judges." Briatore had alleged on Friday that one of the court of appeal judges in a case involving McLaren and Red Bull against Alpine had "links" with McLaren.
The case resulted in the court reinstating a penalty on Alpine's Pierre Gasly from the Monaco Grand Prix. Briatore, 76, based his claims on a 2018 charity auction in California, which the judge attended and where McLaren reportedly donated cars. Briatore stated, "One of the judges was linked with a team that was protesting us."
The FIA's highest legal authority stated that court of appeal judges are subject to independence and confidentiality requirements, make annual disclosures of interests, and sign a declaration of independence for each case. It added that parties to the dispute were invited to raise any issues regarding the proceedings or court composition both before and after the hearing, and none did so. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described Briatore's allegations as "quite insulting" and stated that the hearing was conducted to the highest standards.