Carlos Sainz Advocates for Ex-F1 Drivers on Stewards' Panel to Simplify Racing Guidelines
Carlos Sainz suggests bringing ex-F1 drivers onto the stewards' panel to eliminate subjective driving guidelines, arguing their race experience would lead to fairer, more consistent judgments. Praising the analysis of broadcasters like Jolyon Palmer and Karun Chandhok, Sainz believes their insights align more closely with drivers' perspectives and could resolve the current confusion surrounding penalties. This proposal will be discussed with the FIA, potentially reshaping F1's approach to incident management.
Carlos Sainz suggests that integrating two to three former Formula 1 drivers into the stewarding panel could eliminate the need for controversial driving guidelines. He bases this on his appreciation for how broadcasters' analysts evaluate recent incidents, believing their insights would bring more clarity and consistent judgment to racing incidents.
Why it matters:
After a season marked by contentious penalty decisions and driver frustration, re-evaluating the F1 stewarding system is crucial for maintaining fair play and driver confidence. Sainz's proposal highlights a significant disconnect between current stewarding practices and the perspectives of active drivers, suggesting a need for more practical, race-focused expertise in decision-making.
The Details:
- Sainz, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) alongside George Russell, notes that many drivers disagree with the current application of driving guidelines, which he believes often leads to incorrect penalties due to their subjective nature.
- He champions the in-depth analysis provided by F1 TV's Jolyon Palmer and Sky F1's Karun Chandhok and Anthony Davidson, stating he agrees with their assessments "90%" of the time.
- Expert Consensus: Sainz argues that these ex-drivers, with their recent F1 experience, consistently make accurate judgments about blame or if an incident is purely a 'racing incident'.
- His ideal vision involves removing strict guidelines altogether and relying on individuals capable of judging incidents with the same level of insight demonstrated by these broadcasters.
- Sainz criticizes the current guidelines for reducing the concept of a 'racing incident', stating that they often force stewards to assign blame even when a situation would historically be considered a natural part of racing.
What's next:
Drivers and the FIA are set to discuss the state of F1's driving guidelines on Thursday evening. This meeting will be critical for addressing the growing concerns among drivers.
- Sainz hopes this discussion will lead to a better solution for the future, moving away from current guidelines that he believes have created more problems than they've solved.
- If Sainz's proposal gains traction, it could lead to a significant overhaul of how F1 incidents are judged, potentially fostering more consistent and driver-centric decisions on the track.