At the United States Grand Prix, George Russell was handed a five-second time penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off the track. Although much of the attention was on the five-second penalty awarded to Lando Norris during his battle with Max Verstappen, Russell’s penalty stirred controversy. Both Russell and his team principal, Toto Wolff, expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision. Wolff labeled the penalty a “total joke,” while Russell admitted that although the penalty was technically in line with the rules, it was not fair from a racing perspective.
Russell explained that, according to the letter of the law, his penalty was justified because he had not been ahead at the apex when the incident with Bottas occurred. The rules state that a driver must leave space if they are not ahead at the apex, and failure to do so results in a penalty. However, Russell felt that anyone with racing experience would recognize that the penalty did not reflect the reality of the situation. He emphasized the complexity of stewarding decisions, particularly when incidents are analyzed in slow motion or specific moments are isolated, which may not capture the full context of the event.
In response to this, Russell suggested a reform to the current stewarding system. He proposed that F1 should employ the same stewards for the entire season to ensure consistency and allow for common sense to be applied more effectively. He argued that rotating stewards from race to race results in inconsistent decisions, as different individuals may interpret the rules in varying ways. By having a fixed stewarding panel, Russell believes both drivers and officials would develop a better understanding of one another, leading to fairer rulings.
Former F1 driver and FIA steward Johnny Herbert offered insight into why the stewarding panel rotates, citing financial reasons as the primary cause. Herbert pointed out that stewards receive minimal compensation for their work, approximately $300 per day, which makes it unrealistic to expect the same group of stewards to commit to all 20 or more races in a season. He acknowledged that having the same stewards at every race would be ideal but explained that the logistics and financial constraints make this difficult.
Despite the penalty, Russell finished the race in sixth place. The debate over stewarding consistency and the application of rules remains a significant topic in F1, with Russell’s comments adding to the ongoing conversation about how best to manage racing incidents and penalties fairly.
