Motorsport governing body rejects Alpine boss’s claims of impartiality

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Saturday refuted claims of impartiality made by Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore in a statement issued on behalf of the International Court of Appeal.

It said that Briatore had questioned “the independence and impartiality of the judges” in an appeal hearing to consider the outcome of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix following appeals by McLaren and Red Bull.

The colourful Italian, 76, who has had a chequered career in Formula One, made his claims during an explosive news conference at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday after it was confirmed that Alpine driver Pierre Gasly had lost third place and the original result reinstated by the hearing in Paris last month.

The statement said that the FIA rejected any suggestion that their processes in selection of judges were not impartial.

“No objection was raised during the hearing concerning the manner in which the court questioned the witness or conducted the proceedings,” said the statement.

“The court is confident in the soundness of the proceedings and the integrity of the judges. The FIA courts remain committed to the independence and impartiality of their judges and to the integrity of the judicial process,” it said.

On Friday, Briatore had said: “One of the judges acts like a prosecutor. This is not a big problem. The problem is he’s very linked with McLaren”.

He added that this “was quite unfair – one of the judges was linked with a team that was protesting us”.

McLaren team chief Andrea Stella said he felt McLaren had been insulted by the allegations and defended both his team and the processes of the court hearing.