Former champion raises issues in F1 stewarding after Mexican GP controversy

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 commonly suggested idea of ​​full-time FIA stewards. Hill argued that appointing experienced drivers as stewards is problematic, suggesting that they should instead serve as advisors and provide valuable insights to support and improve stewarding decisions.

The FIA ​​faced a lot of criticism after the race United States Grand Prix for allegedly inconsistent penalty provisions for violations of driving rules. In response, numerous suggestions emerged, calling 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 every race.

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

“I think the problem really came when you experienced drivers becoming stewards, whereas I think the way forward was to have someone there to advise the stewards on what they were thinking, so they got an opinion from an experienced driver who gave them helped the decision.

“Because the way it works is the race director reports something, so he sees something, he says, ‘I think that needs to be investigated,’ and he passes it on to the stewards.

“The stewards then look at the rules and what the rules say, and then they have to apply it depending on whether the rules are good or not.

“That’s almost a legal interpretation of the situation, but it helps them if they have a driver there who says, ‘Well, I personally don’t think this is obvious, that’s the kind of driving that needs to be disciplined. ‘ or ‘That’s fantastic racing, never mind.’

“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 get off stage again and we’ll have another twenty minutes before we decide what we’re going to do?’ That’s not very satisfying, is it?

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

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