Hamilton claimed in Barcelona on Wednesday that some stewards have an affinity with “some people” they are friends with, hinting that a close relationship could have an impact on their decisions.
The new president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem , did not refer to the stewards system in his recent statement on the changes in the way Formula 1 officiating, although he insisted that he did not believe that the stewards show a preference over some drivers or others.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff , meanwhile, spoke about the issue brought up by his drivers, saying consistency was the key: “I think we need professionalism in the stewards room.”
“I don’t think there are preferences, honestly, they are smart people. But the most important thing is that whenever we talk about the direction of the race, the support they will have, or the stewards, there has to be a standard,” he explained.
“This is what we deserve, and this is what everyone expects. I think there are very good people that we can build on. The biggest thing, and we’ve all talked about it last year, was the issue of inconsistency. “.
“There shouldn’t be much room to interpret the rules. There shouldn’t be much, so to speak, leniency, depending on what the outcome is,” Wolff said.
“But the rules are the rules. I think as everything is being restructured, I have faith that Mohammed will improve all these structures.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the rules leave too much room for interpretation by race control and stewards, especially in controversial areas such as track limits.
“I think a lot of the problems have to do with the regulations themselves, because there are very complicated rules that leave room for interpretation. I think that the track limits are obvious, in any other sport if you go over the white line, you’re out.”
“And you have a situation like we currently have where some corners it’s OK, some corners it’s not. I think, for the fans, even the teams and the drivers, it’s confusing. So what’s needed is clear rules. , that are easier to monitor,” he insisted.
Horner agreed with Wolff’s suggestion that the stewards had not shown a preference, saying he was confident Ben Sulayem would ensure the system was more effective.
“Now, we’ve all been hurt by stewards’ decisions that we’re not happy with. I agree with Toto that I don’t think there’s an intentional bias. I’m not aware of stewards traveling with drivers to races. .
“In Mohammed we have a new president who is looking to tighten up the structure, and bring in the equivalent of VAR. It’s something the top teams have at their disposal.”
“I think that giving a better infrastructure to make better decisions with clearer regulations is something that must be fought for, but I don’t think there has been any preference on the part of the stewards during the last few seasons,” he concluded.
