“We should have more neutral stewards,” Lewis Hamilton takes a subtle dig at FIA whilst calling for impartial decisions

“We should have more neutral stewards,” Lewis Hamilton takes a subtle dig at FIA whilst calling for impartial decisions

Lewis Hamilton

Stewards are a critical part of the race, as they manage the race along with the race director. Last season there were a maximum of four stewards in a race, but five were present too, albeit occasionally.

During the break at the ongoing pre-season testing in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton was present alongside four other drivers. The five drivers were in media presence and answered some questions as well. 

There were plenty of questions asked, but there was one, in particular, that seems to have stood out amongst all so far. The drivers were asked what’s something they’d like to see changed. Out of all the answers, Lewis Hamilton’s answer makes the news.

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Lewis Hamilton’s desired changes

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton

As quoted by The Race, the seven-time world champion, said, “I just want to add we need to make sure we’ve got non-biased stewards,” implying that there’s some biasedness to the decisions made by the race officials.

The driver added, “Race drivers, some are very, very good friends with certain individuals, some travel with some individuals, take a more keen liking to some. I think [F1 needs] people who have no biases, and are super central when it comes to making decisions.”

Lewis Hamilton also made a call for a more diverse and equal steward’s panel. He said, “I want to see more women in the stewards’ room, last year [we had] maybe one or two. It would be awesome to have a male and female as the two race directors.”

Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, refuted these statements saying, “I don’t think there’s been any stewards bias for one driver or another. And I’m not aware of drivers traveling to races with stewards.“

Hamilton’s comments however may not be taken well by the FIA or the officials themselves, but there does seem to be truth in them. In previous years, and the last one, in particular, there was a lot of inconsistency in the decisions made by the stewards. On multiple incidents, different penalties were given for similar accidents. 

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