Russell: Driver Fines Should Finance Permanent FIA Stewards

George Russell calls for greater consistency, suggesting driver fines be used to fund full-time, professional stewards in Formula 1.

George Russell has weighed in on the recent controversies surrounding penalties handed down by the stewards.

The British driver elaborated on why he believes the FIA should reconsider its approach and finally establish one or more permanent stewards in Formula 1.

“I thought my penalty was harsh, but probably correct,” said Russell in Mexico when asked to clarify his stance on the penalties issued in Austin.

“But, I maintain, looking at Lando’s penalty, that it was probably correct as well, but Max should probably have been penalised for leaving the track. Among us, we’ll first discuss with the FIA to understand their perspective.”

The debate over the introduction of permanent stewards has been reignited. It’s a solution favoured by the Mercedes F1 driver, who also serves as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).

“In the end, the stewards are doing the best they can. They give their best effort and follow a set of guidelines,” Russell stated.

“The only way to achieve some consistency is to have the same stewards at every race weekend. At the moment, they are very experienced, but they are almost like volunteers in their role.”

“It’s not a professionally paid job, and if you look at football, even though controversies still exist, referees are professionals, and it’s their full-time job.”

“That’s how they earn their livelihood. Given the sport we are in today, this is probably the direction we should be heading.”

The issue of funding for full-time, salaried stewards remains unresolved, and the FIA would need a compelling argument to move forward in this direction.

On this matter, Russell has a solution: use the fines collected from drivers to fund the race stewards—particularly since he and his fellow drivers are unclear about where these fines currently go.

“The FIA governs the sport, and we need to have the best in the field, just as you have the best drivers, the best engineers, and the best designers.”

“We’ve reached a point where we need to have the best stewards—not only from a driving perspective but also on the technical side.”

“I understand that it’s not an easy task and that it requires funding from somewhere.”

“Among the drivers and within the GPDA, we’ve collectively raised questions about financial penalties and where the money goes, as we’ve requested a bit more transparency on this front.”

“It seems a little absurd that a driver can be fined €50,000 for walking onto a race track, but if that €50,000 helps to finance the best stewards in the world, maybe we wouldn’t be quite so upset.”