According to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, the FIA should employ full-time stewards to simplify the rules within Formula 1. He believes that the recent title fight between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen has exposed the ‘over-regulated’ and ‘complicated’ regulations. Verstappen agrees with Brown that full-time stewards could ensure more consistent decisions in the future.
“We need full-time stewards,” Brown told BBC Sport. “The way it’s currently arranged shows little sign of success.” The American advocates for the stewards, who currently work unpaid as volunteers, to be rewarded with a salary. Moreover, they should have access to more technology, so they can make better decisions in significant incidents.
‘Back to old-fashioned racing’
This season, McLaren driver Lando Norris clashed several times with title rival Max Verstappen. Their numerous duels exposed a painful lack of consistent regulation, leading to much discussion among fans. After several controversial time penalties, the stewards, particularly former driver Johnny Herbert, had to justify themselves in the media. Max Verstappen, who has had adverse experiences with the current system, also believes that a professional approach could bring improvement.
“Do I think the consistency in the penalties can be better? Yes, definitely, but that can only be achieved with paid stewards – professional stewards,” Verstappen also told BBC Sport. “The stewards we have now are doing their utmost with what they have, but in a sport like this, it works much better if you have a team of paid stewards.
“I think we need to take a step back and not over-regulate what happens on the track,” added Zak Brown. “We never used to do that in Formula 1. We are now too preoccupied with a set of rules, instead of focusing on good old-fashioned racing. Give the stewards a bit more discretion and let them decide whether a driver is racing fairly or not. Forget about such a black-and-white rulebook,” he concluded.
