LONDON: Formula One must have a permanent race steward attending all races if a licence penalty points system for drivers is to be introduced next season, according to triple world champion Jackie Stewart.
Formula One teams approved the licence plan at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and it now has to be authorised by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) world motor sport council next month.
The system will be similar to regular motorists, with F1 drivers handed points penalties for infringements which once 12 are racked up in a year would lead to a race ban.
Stewart, a pioneer in campaigning for safety improvements in the late 1960s and early 1970s, said that the governing International Automobile Federation had to ensure any punishments were consistent.
“I think it’s wrong that the FIA have part-time stewards dealing with safety,” he said. “It’s not correct to have part-time stewards who have just been brought in from any other country for one or two races,” added the Scot.
He said: “There’s got to be the same people all of the time so that there’s no risk that you are going to have peak and valley judgements that are different.” REUTERS
