Cars / Brand Intelligence
Alpine Advisor Accuses FIA Appeal Judge of McLaren Ties
The public dispute at Monza highlights how promotional alignments between luxury manufacturers and high-net-worth clients can intersect with motorsport regulatory bodies.
Alpine’s executive advisor has accused a judge on the FIA panel that ruled against his team of having close ties to McLaren’s bespoke division.[1]
At the 2026[1] Italian Grand Prix, Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore asserted that Filippo Marchino, a judge on the International Court of Appeal panel, was linked to McLaren through a speech at McLaren Special Operations Beverly Hills and charitable vehicle donations.
During a press conference at Monza, Briatore waved a document and argued that Marchino acted like a prosecutor during a hearing that stripped Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of his Monaco Grand Prix podium, according to Autoweek.[2] The International Court of Appeal had reinstated Gasly's penalties following challenges by Red Bull and McLaren, demoting him from third to seventh place, as reported by The New York Times.[1]
Advisors tracking luxury automotive marques evaluate how bespoke marketing programs like McLaren Special Operations (MSO) build deep networks among high-net-worth brand ambassadors and charitable organizations. Briatore noted that Marchino's foundation, the One Drop Foundation, received multiple vehicles from McLaren, illustrating the close relationship between the manufacturer and its prominent clients.[2] These promotional alignments, designed to cultivate brand loyalty and elevate secondary-market prestige, can inadvertently create regulatory friction when those same clients assume oversight roles in motorsport governing bodies.
While McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella declined to address the allegations directly during the press conference, the public dispute demonstrates how corporate governance risks can spill over from the racetrack to the brand's commercial reputation.[1] A manufacturer's racing success directly influences the allocation demand and secondary-market premiums of its road cars; however, the available record does not disclose whether these allegations of bias will prompt any formal review of FIA judicial appointments or affect McLaren's corporate valuation.
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Sources
- 01
nytimes.com
Alpine’s Flavio Briatore alleges judge in Monaco GP court ruling ‘very linked’ with McLaren - The New York TimesSep 4, 2026
Source passage
Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore at the FIA news conference at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Mark Sutton / Getty Images MONZA, Italy — Alpine Formula 1 chief Flavio Briatore has alleged that a judge on the panel that ruled to reinstate Pierre Gasly’s penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix is “very linked” with McLaren. On Friday, the FIA announced that its International Court of Appeal (ICA) had ruled in favor of McLaren and Red Bull after they challenged the decision to overturn Gasly’s two five-second penalties for pit lane speeding in Monaco. The initial overturning of the ruling by the Monaco race stewards had reinstated Gasly to the podium ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, only for the ICA to decide the penalties should be re-applied, dropping Gasly back down to seventh place. Alpine released a statement after the ruling was announced expressing its “disappointment and frustration” over the decision. But in the FIA news conference shortly after the announcement, Briatore, who is Alpine’s executive advisor, effectively its team principal, alleged that one of the judges involved in the ruling was linked to McLaren. “This is very unfair, but we accept the decision,” Briatore said. “But what is very strange was (there were) four judges in the panel. One of the judges acted like a prosecutor. For this, no big problem. “The problem is he’s very linke
- 02
autoweek.com
Flavio Briatore Accuses FIA Appeal Judge of McLaren Connections - AutoweekSep 4, 2026
Source passage
Alpine’s de facto team boss Flavio Briatore launched an extraordinary verbal attack on one of the judges involved in the decision to strip Pierre Gasly of his Monaco Grand Prix podium. Gasly finished third on the road in Monaco, back in June, but was demoted to seventh post-race due to two in-race time penalties for pit lane speeding. Alpine appealed and a right of review went their way. But Red Bull and McLaren appealed the decision and it went to the International Court of Appeal, which convened last Tuesday, and delivered its verdict on Friday, reapplying the penalties and in effect stripping Gasly of the podium. Briatore was present in Friday’s Press Conference at Monza, alongside McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella—and Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur—and began by waving around a piece of paper. “We accept the decision, but what is very strange was four judges in the panel, one of the judges act like a prosecutor,” Briatore said. “This is not a big problem. The problem is he’s very linked with the McLaren company, because we have a nice picture of this guy at a speech for McLaren in 2018 in MSO [McLaren Special Operations] Beverly Hills. He has a foundation, it’s called One Drop foundation, and McLaren gave two, three McLaren cars. This was quite unfair. One of the judges was linked with a team which was prosecuting us.” Stella attempted to move the conversation on but Briatore—who