Every incident in F1 is different unlike football: Sergio Perez

Every incident in F1 is different unlike football: Sergio Perez

The stewards are an integral part of Formula 1 to ensure that the rules or regulations of the FIA are implemented to their fullest. The stewards go about making a lot of decisions pre-race, during the race and post-race as well. The penalties that are adjudicated on the drivers are primarily decided by the stewards.

One can say that the stewards are there to ensure the implementation of the ‘rulebook’ in Formula 1. However, the Formula 1 season in 2021 was mired with controversial and inconsistent rulings by the panel of stewards. And no, one cannot put the blame all over on Michael Masi again for this.

As a rule of thumb, the stewards are rotated. There is not a single consistent panel that decides the outcome of a racing incident while handing out the penalties.

A lot of the drivers were evidently annoyed by the inconsistency shown by the stewards in taking decisions. The actions by stewards in this aspect set a contrasting precedent in all of the major incidents.

Sergio Perez was the latest driver to speak against this issue during an interview he gave in the course of the Pre Season F1 testing in Barcelona. 

I think it is in the nature of our sport: Sergio Perez Seemingly irked by a lack of a consistent Steward’s panel. 

Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez Win in Baku

Sergio Perez’s team Red Bull was definitely the most affected by the inconsistent actions by the stewards especially in Silverstone, Hungary, Monza and Jeddah.

There is a good chance that Red Bull could have won the constructors championship if the actions by stewards were consistent. On this he said, 

“I think it is in the nature of our sport, it is not like football where everything is a lot clearer,” he said.

“Here, every incident is very different and it is very hard for the stewards to make decisions. But as long as we can have consistency within the stewards, we have them more consistently at the races, the same people.”

“We have to support the new race directors that come in. It obviously takes time but I think it is in the nature of our sport that there is always a debate in it, it is not as straightforward as other sports.”

There is a good chance that Red Bull could have won the constructors championship if the actions by stewards were consistent. 

Also Read: “It’s unacceptable,” Max Verstappen lashes out at the decision by FIA to remove former Race Director Michael Masi