FIA makes a huge decision on Brazilian GP stewards after Max Verstappen criticisFIA makes a huge decision on Brazilian GP stewards after Max Verstappen criticism
Max Verstappen suggested there may be a ‘British bias’ in decision making by the F1 stewards, as he reacted to his 20 seconds’ worth of penalties when battling Lando Norris in Mexico last week
Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen in the team garage at the Mexican Grand Prix
Johnny Herbert remains a race steward for this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix despite Max Verstappen suggesting a ‘British bias’ may be at play within decision-making.
A quartet of stewards, responsible for overseeing the weekend’s racing events, are rotated on a race by race basis. Three of the stewards from the Mexican Grand Prix will not be calling the shots in Brazil this weekend, but former F1 racer Herbert will remain on the panel as the drivers’ steward.
Jos Verstappen suggested that the stewards could be guilty of a conflict of interest, hinting at his displeasure that Herbert was on the panel. He said: “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.”
And Max himself suggested that he has “the wrong passport” to be making complaints, before confirming that he did indeed mean that he felt that British drivers got away with more than others. Herbert, however, has dismissed the suggestion that nationality comes into play when the stewards are deciding 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.
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert is now a regular race stewards for the FIA
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