FIA Faces F1 Stewarding System Dilemma After Canadian GP Incident

According to recent reports, Derek Warwick was suspended from F1 stewarding duties before the Canadian GP after giving an interview to a gambling website — a decision that impacted the 5.5-hour delay in race results after the checkered flag.

While Enrique Bernoldi joined the stewards panel via video from FIA’s Geneva operations center, the decision-making process was hindered by case complexity — including Red Bull’s protest against George Russell and multiple safety car infractions.

The current F1 stewarding system relies on unpaid volunteers, with one former F1 driver on each panel since 2015. Previously, Johnny Herbert was also removed from the stewards roster due to his dual role as a media commentator.

Drivers have proposed full-time professional stewards, but Mohammed Ben Sulayem — FIA president — stated the organization cannot afford their salaries. Other proposed solutions include:

• Flexibility in handling incidents
• Prioritizing cases affecting main results
• Increasing protest filing fee from €2000

The Red Bull protest case against Russell demonstrates the importance of objective evidence evaluation — Mercedes data proved no violations regarding safety car distance or sudden braking.