F1’s driver steward
HOW IT WORKS
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As with VAR in football, the mechanism of how Formula 1judgesand penalises drivers remains contentious. At the recent Austrian Grand Prix, what amounts to hard but fair racing was back on the agenda after Lando Norris copped a five-second penalty for forcing Sergio Pérez off the track. Most thought it harsh. The decision was taken byapanel of three stewards who are appointed at each race. Stewards are officials from a roster who are granted a special licence by the FIA, but among them, since 2010, is a former racing driver who’s there to advise from experience. The ex-driver on duty in Austria was Derek Warwick, Le Mans 24 Hours winner and veteran of147 grand prix starts. The stewards’ joint decisions are fed to the race director, who has ultimate authority. They have masses of data and camera angles to consider, butaswithVAR and referees, even then they’re not always deemed to get it right.