Last Updated on October 31 2024, 3:12 pm
Theres a row brewing in Formula One land and unsurprisingly it involves officials from the FIA who govern the sport. Each year the F1 race officials come under fire for their decisions with a common accusation made that they are “too inconsistent” and this row is no different.
The F1 stewards are a grace and favour appointment by the FIA. They are selected from the nigh on 200 national members associations and at each race there are four stewards with one an ex-driver to represent a ‘professional racers’ point of view.
During the F1 track sessions the permanent race director Neils Wittich will refer incidents to the stewards for their deliberations. They in turn interpret the regulations and FIA driving standards guidelines and can issue penalties which range from a fine, to a time penalty and even a race ban as Kevin Magnussen recently discovered.
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At the recent USGP the stewards were criticised for penalising Lando Norris who was involved with an off track incident with Max Verstappen. Whilst both drivers left the circuit only Lando Norris was penalised but many paddock observers felt the world champion should have been sanctioned along with the McLaren driver.
Next time out in Mexico, Verstappen and Norris once again found themselves fighting for the same piece of asphalt, but this time it was the world champion who was punished with two ten second time penalties effectively ending his hopes of a podium finish in the Grand Prix.
The row over driving standards is down to the fact the FIA issues a ‘secret’ document to the stewards each season. These F1 driving standards guidelines details how decisions should be made over on track duels between the drivers.
After the race in Austin, it came to light that a driver approaching a corner is treated differently depending whether they are on the inside or the outside. A driver on the inside will not be penalised for leaving the circuit should they appear to have claimed the “right” to the corner at the apex of the turn.
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In his determination to make a move around the outside of Verstappen, Norris was accused later by Red Bull of racing to claim the corner as his own, but with no hope of remaining on the circuit. Yet the McLaren man received no penalty whilst Verstappen was hit with a hammer blow punishment.
Jos Verstappen later accused the stewards of having a conflict of interest and suggesting in particular Johny Herbert as the driver stewards was particularly to blame. “The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest. From former drivers, for example, who have more sympathy for certain drivers.”
Max himself suggested there was bias in the stewards room claiming he had “the wrong passport” and that the British drivers escape punishment more than the rest of the field. Such was the uproar over the fierce time penalties meted out to Verstappen, the FIA quietly reshuffled the stewards panel for the upcoming Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Tim Mayer, Loic Bacquelaine and Alfonso Oros Trigueros, who were all on duty in Mexico, will now step down and taking their places will be Dr Gerd Ennser, Andrew Mallalieu and Luciano Burti. Johnny Herbert to the ire of Jos remains as the F1 driver steward.
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The switch was decided this week following heavy criticism over the draconian nature of Verstappen’s penalties in Mexico, yet given Herbert was the only British steward it feels like the FIA have issued a yah boo, to the Verstappens.
Herbert was the only stewards to speak publicly to the media last weekend and his comments should be of concern to Red. Bull and Max Verstappen. Whilst initially Johnny describes the efforts of there stewards in detail, he goes on to describe Verstappen’s mindset as “horrible.”
Herbert, also dismissed the suggestion that nationality comes is a factor when the stewards make their calls. “The attitude in the stewards’ room was really good and our decision was clear because the guidelines tell us what to look at and how to deal with the situation. When we applied the two 10-second penalties to Max Verstappen, we were all in agreement. Always remember, there are four stewards who make these decisions,” he told Action Network.
“There always seems to be an issue about us British stewards being ‘biased’ but, when we are in that room, we abide by the rules and guidelines from the FIA. That is how we have to judge the racing on the track. To say it is ‘biased’ is absolutely ridiculous and not the case.”
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Mexico stewards from four nationalities
The stewards in Mexico were American, Belgian, Brazilian and British, so bias is difficult to argue. However, suggesting that stewarding any motorsport event is objective is clearly not the case given the subjective interpretations which need to be made of the regulations.
“We try as hard as possible to be fair in our judgement. The issue we have is the tactics we see on the track, there are driving styles that are not deemed correct according to the guidelines, and the situation we had in Mexico showed that we made the right decision”, Herbert continued.
Turning to Max’s driving antics, Herbert is adamant the stewards knew Verstappen’s intentions were wrong. “His driving was harsh, especially because he drove another driver off the track. It is an absolute no go for me, the current drivers, former drivers and the stewards.”
Yet in Austin Texas, Max did exactly that – drove Norris off the track – but received no sanctions from race control. In an attempt to placate matters Herbert turns to Verstappen’s apparent mindset.
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Herbert attacks Verstappen mindset as “horrible”
“I’m a big fan of Verstappen,” he said “and it frustrates me enormously when he drives like he did in Mexico. He doesn’t have to do it and he’s so incredibly good. At this point in the championship he just has to stay out of trouble and drive as well as he can.
“If Verstappen gets the horrible mindset to drive a driver off the track, take advantage of that and give Ferrari a one-two, he has to know that he can’t do that. Just win in the most decent way!”
Of course for Red Bull and Max this interpretation of the world champions driving style is rejected. Their position is that Lando attacked the corner with too much speed and never had a chance of completing the move around the outside and remind between the white lines.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
