Ce que vous devez retenir
- The former racer was supposed to be part of the steward panel at the Canadian Grand Prix, but instead got a timeout for stepping out of line.
- So he was basically second-guessing his fellow stewards’ decisions from the outside – not exactly a good look when you’re supposed to be part of the same team.
- They pulled Warwick from his Canadian Grand Prix duties and brought in Enrique Bernoldi as a replacement, who worked the event remotely from the Remote Operations Center in Geneva.
The world of Formula 1 just got a little more complicated. Derek Warwick, a veteran steward who’s been making calls from the sidelines since 2010, found himself on the wrong side of the FIA after speaking his mind about recent race incidents. The former racer was supposed to be part of the steward panel at the Canadian Grand Prix, but instead got a timeout for stepping out of line.
What happened? Warwick decided to share his thoughts about Max Verstappen’s penalty in Spain and even weighed in on Lewis Hamilton’s future with Ferrari. The problem? He wasn’t supposed to be talking to the media at all.
The FIA’s strict no-talking policy
Here’s the thing about being an F1 steward – you’re supposed to keep your opinions to yourself. The FIA has been cracking down on former drivers who work as stewards and then go chat with reporters or betting websites. They see it as a major conflict of interest, and honestly, they have a point.
Earlier this year, Johnny Herbert got the boot from his steward role because he was also working as a TV commentator. The FIA basically said “pick one” – you can either judge the races or talk about them on television, but not both. Now Warwick is learning the same lesson the hard way.
Warwick raced in Formula 1 for over ten seasons back in the day, driving for teams like Lotus, Toleman, and Renault. He even won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot back in 1992. Since 2010, he’s been using that racing experience to help make judgment calls during race weekends.
What exactly did he say?
The controversy started when Warwick gave an interview to a betting website (which then shared his comments with other media outlets). He talked about Verstappen’s incident with George Russell at Turn 5 during the Spanish Grand Prix, where the Dutch driver got penalized.
“Should he have done what he did? Absolutely not,” Warwick said about Verstappen’s move. But then he went further, analyzing whether the penalty was fair and even suggesting what the punishment should have been. He compared it to a previous incident involving Sebastian Vettel deliberately hitting Hamilton in Baku.
The really awkward part? Warwick wasn’t even on the steward panel for the Spanish race. So he was basically second-guessing his fellow stewards’ decisions from the outside – not exactly a good look when you’re supposed to be part of the same team.
Comments about Hamilton’s Ferrari move
Warwick didn’t stop there. He also shared his thoughts about Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari, saying he thought the seven-time champion deserved to win that elusive eighth title. But then he got a bit gloomy about Hamilton’s chances.
“It’s not going to happen this year,” Warwick said. “And I think if he continues as he is right now, I suspect he’ll start thinking about retiring. I don’t see him competing half a second behind Charles or finishing sixth, seventh, or eighth.”
Those kinds of predictions might be fine for a retired driver to make on a podcast, but when you’re an active steward? The FIA sees that as crossing a line.
The immediate consequences
The FIA didn’t waste time responding. They pulled Warwick from his Canadian Grand Prix duties and brought in Enrique Bernoldi as a replacement, who worked the event remotely from the Remote Operations Center in Geneva.
The official statement was pretty straightforward: “Following recent unauthorized comments to the media, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.”
But here’s the interesting part – this isn’t a permanent ban. Warwick is expected to return for the Austrian Grand Prix and continue with his planned schedule, which includes races in Hungary, Italy, Singapore, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. The FIA essentially gave him a one-race suspension as a warning shot.
Why this matters for Formula 1
This whole situation highlights a bigger issue in F1. The sport relies heavily on former drivers to serve as stewards because they understand racing from the inside. But these same people often have media commitments, personal opinions, and relationships within the paddock that can create conflicts.
The FIA is trying to maintain the integrity of its officiating by keeping stewards neutral and quiet. They don’t want decisions questioned by the very people who make them, and they definitely don’t want stewards speculating about driver careers or race outcomes.
For fans, this means we might hear less insider perspective from the people actually making the calls during races. It’s a trade-off between transparency and maintaining the authority of race officials.
The message from the FIA is clear: if you want to be a steward, keep your thoughts to yourself. Save the commentary for after you hang up your official duties for good.
