McLaren says its appeal against the Monaco Grand Prix result is aimed at protecting sporting integrity while also recovering points lost from Oscar Piastri’s penalty.

Why McLaren challenged the Monaco result

Several drivers were penalized during the Monaco Grand Prix for allegedly exceeding the pit-lane speed limit.

Among them were Oscar Piastri and Pierre Gasly.

It was later discovered that the timing loop used to calculate the speed at the entrance to Monaco’s pit lane had produced false positives.

Oscar Piastri was among the drivers penalized for an alleged pit-lane speeding infringement at Monaco.

Most drivers had already served their penalties during the race.

Gasly was different. The Alpine driver received two five-second penalties after the race, dropping him from third to seventh.

Alpine subsequently requested a right of review, and the stewards overturned both penalties, restoring Gasly to the podium.

That decision also changed the positions of Isack Hadjar and Piastri.

McLaren says the process was unfair

McLaren and Red Bull subsequently launched appeals because they questioned why Gasly was able to have his penalties removed while other drivers did not receive the same opportunity.

Stella says this is the central issue behind McLaren’s appeal.

McLaren argues that the treatment of Gasly’s penalties raised broader questions about fairness between competitors.

According to Stella, the team wants the FIA appeal process to clarify the principle that should apply equally to all competitors.

He stressed that the issue goes beyond McLaren’s own interests and concerns the integrity of Formula 1.

The technical question of how the pit-lane speed was calculated is important, but Stella considers the broader procedural issue even more significant.

McLaren also wants its championship points back

There is also a direct competitive reason for McLaren’s appeal.

Piastri had already served his penalty during the Monaco race, meaning McLaren says the team suffered a tangible loss that could not be appealed in the same way as Gasly’s post-race sanctions.

McLaren says Piastri’s penalty had a direct impact on its championship points.

Stella therefore described the appeal as having two objectives.

The first is to establish a fair principle for all competitors. The second is to address the impact the Monaco decision had on McLaren’s own constructors’ championship campaign.

The FIA International Court of Appeal’s decision could therefore have implications beyond the Monaco result itself.

For McLaren Monaco appeal, the team is arguing that the case is about more than recovering lost points. Stella says the outcome should clarify how sporting procedures are applied when an initial penalty is later found to have been based on incorrect data.

Ferrari will honor Michael Schumacher at the Italian Grand Prix with a special SF-26 livery and additional initiatives celebrating his legendary career in Maranello.

Ferrari is preparing a special tribute to Michael Schumacher for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The Scuderia plans to commemorate the seven-time world champion with a special decoration on the SF-26s of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, alongside additional initiatives planned for the race weekend.

The tribute comes at a particularly meaningful moment in Schumacher’s Ferrari history.

A tribute marking Schumacher’s Ferrari legacy

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix arrives 30 years after Schumacher’s first victory with Ferrari in 1996 and two decades after his final win for the Scuderia in 2006.

Between those two victories, Schumacher enjoyed one of the most successful periods in Ferrari history.

Ferrari will give its SF-26 a special Michael Schumacher-inspired decoration for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

During his Ferrari career, Schumacher won five world championships and 71 races with the team.

Those achievements established the German driver as one of the most important figures in the history of the Maranello-based team and created a lasting connection with Ferrari’s supporters.

The Italian Grand Prix therefore provides a natural setting for the Scuderia to celebrate that legacy.

Schumacher remains deeply connected to Ferrari fans

The tribute will also recognize the special place Schumacher continues to occupy among Formula 1 supporters.

The German suffered a serious skiing accident in Méribel on December 29, 2013 and has remained largely away from public life since then.

Schumacher’s Ferrari legacy continues to hold a special place among tifosi ahead of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.

His family, led by his wife Corinna, has maintained a high level of privacy surrounding his condition.

Ferrari’s planned initiatives at Monza will provide another opportunity for fans to show their appreciation for one of the greatest drivers associated with the team.

More Schumacher tributes are planned

Ferrari is also preparing additional activities dedicated to Schumacher that have not yet been officially announced.

Additional initiatives celebrating Schumacher are expected to be revealed around the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

Nico Hülkenberg narrowly avoided hitting Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto after the Brazilian spun across the track during the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Nico Hülkenberg revealed how he narrowly avoided a potentially huge accident with Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto during the opening lap of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

The incident happened shortly after Max Verstappen crashed at the final corner. With the track still wet in places, Bortoleto lost control of his Audi and spun 360 degrees before coming to a stop in the middle of the circuit.

Hülkenberg arrived moments later and managed to avoid his teammate by passing around the left side of the stranded car.

Hülkenberg had almost no time to react

The track was mostly dry, but the final banked corner remained significantly wetter following the earlier rain.

That caught several drivers by surprise, including Bortoleto.

Nico Hülkenberg narrowly avoided Gabriel Bortoleto after the Brazilian spun across the track at Zandvoort.

Hülkenberg said the situation was extremely difficult because he could not immediately predict which direction Bortoleto’s car would move.

He waited as long as possible before committing to an escape route.

According to the Audi driver, luck also played a major role.

The gap between the two cars was so small that Hülkenberg said it felt as though “a sheet of paper” could have separated them.

Audi team principal calls it an incredible save

Audi competition director Allan McNish watched the incident from the pit wall while monitoring the onboard cameras from both cars.

Audi competition director Allan McNish said the incident was even more alarming after reviewing the onboard footage.

McNish admitted that he initially did not realize just how close the two Audi cars had come to each other.

He compared the moment to a scene from “Days of Thunder”, highlighting how little margin Hülkenberg had for error.

From his experience as a former driver, McNish explained that avoiding an accident in such a situation requires a combination of instinct and judgment.

Drivers have to react immediately, but they must also determine how far they can move and which direction offers the safest escape.

Hülkenberg escaped while Bortoleto recovered

Bortoleto’s spin was particularly difficult to handle because the banking of the corner could have sent the car in an unpredictable direction.

Bortoleto recovered from the spin while Hülkenberg escaped through the narrow gap beside his teammate.

McNish praised Bortoleto for keeping the car away from the wall and preventing an even bigger incident.

He also described Hülkenberg’s avoidance maneuver as an incredible save, saying it was difficult to determine whether instinct, skill, concentration, or a combination of all three made the difference.

The incident ultimately had no major consequences for either Audi driver.

Hülkenberg scored more points for Audi

Hülkenberg went on to finish eighth, scoring four points for Audi.

The result marked the team’s fourth consecutive points-scoring weekend.

Bortoleto had a more difficult afternoon and finished 13th after the opening-lap incident.

For Nico Hülkenberg Audi, the most memorable moment of the weekend was therefore not the final result but the extraordinary escape from what could have been a major teammate collision.