Zak Brown responds to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s ‘pay for stewards’ jibe
McLaren CEO Zak Brown was more than willing to take up the suggestion made by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem over F1 Stewards.
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Zak Brown and Mohammed Ben Sulayem (images via IMAGO)
The FIA has continued to face massive backlash due to multiple issues including President Mohammed Ben Sulayem‘s comments over the season. The governing body had brought in multiple astonishing rule changes and enforced them in an awkward manner. Sulayem recently called out the drivers to pay for steward’s salary which faced further backlash. Hence, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has shared his opinions over the matter and provided an alternative.
The stewards’ decisions, especially against Max Verstappen were heavily criticized by the fans and the driver himself. Due to this, the people demanded ‘permanent stewards.’ Mohammed Ben Sulayem called out the drivers for not wanting to pay the salaries for the stewards. Hence, amidst the governing body axing the long-time steward Johnny Herbert, Zak Brown has sided with the idea.
Brown noted that his opinin on paying the steward’s salaries might be unpopular amidst the rest of the teams. However, the Englishman reckoned that he’d be more than happy to have McLaren and other teams contribute to the cause. The 53-year-old believed that the cost won’t be much if all the teams decided to chime in.
As far as paying for the stewards, this will probably be unpopular amongst my fellow teams. I’d be happy if McLaren and all the racing teams contribute. It’s so important for the sport. It can’t be that expensive if everybody contributes. It’s not going to break the bank.
Zak Brown said at the Autosport Business Exchange
Zak Brown made a snarky remark about people not wanting to pay for stewards’ fees
The current set of stewards are formed from a rigorous process of training Ex-F1 drivers. Zak Brown claimed that he was unaware of the contractual commitments between Formula 1 and the FIA. However, the Briton recalled the fact that part-time stewards were not paid by the sport or the governing body. Regardless, the 53-year-old highlighted that in order to receive changes in the sport, the people had to pay for it.
At the end of the day, the agreement says part-time stewarding is not paid. In any business, if you want something different, it’s called a change order and if you want to change something, you have to pay for it.
Zak Brown explained
Formula 1 has continued to grow in recent years and expanded its horizon. The sport must work on these issues and ensure better conditions for the drivers and the team leaders. Moreover, the stewards are starting to gain more power in terms of enforcing rules and penalizing drivers during issues on track.
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Aditya Pandya
(1484 Articles Published)