Former Champion Calls Out Issue In F1 Stewarding After Mexico GP Controversy

Saajan Jogia | Oct 30, 2024

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 29: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT04 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 29, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has outlined the current stewarding process in F1 and proposed a streamlined approach- appointing a dedicated “referee” rather than relying on the widely suggested idea of full-time FIA stewards. Hill argued that appointing experienced drivers as stewards has been problematic, suggesting instead that they should serve as advisors, providing valuable insights to support and enhance stewarding decisions.

The FIA faced significant criticism after the United States Grand Prix for allegedly inconsistent penalty rulings on driver regulation violations. In response, numerous suggestions emerged, advocating for a more consistent stewarding process through the appointment of full-time stewards. Since 2010, the FIA has included a rotating driver steward on its panel at each race.

However, the 1996 F1 champion has dismissed the idea, suggesting that the problem is when experienced drivers become stewards. Instead, he suggested they should be advisors to the referees who take the final call before the drivers climb the podium. When asked about the idea of having full-time FIA stewards, Hill told on the Sky F1 podcast:

“I think that the problem really came about when you had experienced drivers becoming stewards, when I think the way forward was to have someone there advising the stewards as to what they thought, so they got an opinion from an experienced driver helping them make the decision.

“Because the way it works is the race director reports something, so he sees something, he goes: ‘That, I believe, needs investigating,’ and he hands it down to the stewards.

“The stewards then look at the rules and what the rules say, and then they have to apply it according to whether or not they’re the regulations are right.

“Now, that’s almost a legal interpretation of the situation, but it helps them if they’ve got a driver there saying, ‘Well, I personally think that is beyond the pale, that is the sort of driving that needs to be disciplined,’ or ‘That’s fantastic racing, just leave that alone.’

“And we want the result to be the result. We want the podium to be the result. We don’t want, ‘Oh, God, sorry, can you just come back off the podium and we’ll we’ve got another 20 minutes before we decide what to do?’ That’s not so satisfactory, is it?

“So that’s why I’m saying, you need a referee and the referee’s decision is final, and it’s not perfect, and you can always accuse people of being biased, but you try your best and if as long as you enter the competition and you accept that someone is going to make a call and they’re going to say that’s good or bad, and if you accept that is a fair way of doing it, then you can’t complain, you know?

“It’s not justice, it’s sport, and sport includes the calls, good or bad, by referees.”