George Russell has proposed a solution to a longstanding concern in Formula 1—the handling of driver and team fines. In light of recent controversies over inconsistent stewarding, the Mercedes driver suggested that fines imposed during race weekends should be directed towards funding a permanent team of F1 stewards.
Stewarding has been a hot topic recently, especially after a series of on-track incidents between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The current stewarding system relies on a rotating pool of stewards, without a permanent team, which has led to frustrations among drivers regarding inconsistent decisions. Russell emphasized the importance of having top-tier professionals overseeing the sport, similar to the caliber of drivers, engineers, and designers already in F1.
He explained, “They are governing the sport, and we need to have the best in the business. It’s the same way as you’ve got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best designers, we’re at a point now where you need to have the best stewarding.”
Russell also addressed the growing concern over the lack of transparency regarding the use of financial fines in the sport. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) has recently called for clarity on where the fine money goes, and Russell suggested that fines collected from minor incidents could be allocated to improving the quality of stewarding. He remarked, “It does seem a little bit ridiculous that if a driver gets a 50 grand fine for walking over a race track. But if that 50 grand fine is going towards financing the best stewards in the world, maybe we won’t be so upset about it.”
By making the allocation of fines more transparent and using the funds to enhance stewarding quality, Russell believes it could help resolve many of the current concerns regarding consistency in decision-making and improve the overall professionalism of the sport.
