Warwick, Mansell, Fittipaldi, Hill to be next F1 stewards

Derek Warwick, Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi are being lined up to act as the fourth F1 stewards at forthcoming grands prix.

FIA president Jean Todt’s new initiative is to have a well-known and experienced former driver advising the three conventional stewards as they make their decisions at races this year.

Alain Prost kicked off his duties in Bahrain, and it now emerges that the quadruple world champion is lined up to return in Turkey late next month.

Former Williams driver Alex Wurz is on duty this weekend in China, before the British veteran of 162 grands prix, Derek Warwick, takes over for the start of the European season in Spain.

Damon Hill, whose father Graham Hill won the prestigious event no fewer than five times in the 60s, will join the stewards in Monaco.

The 1996 world champion insists his past troubles with Michael Schumacher will not affect his ability to judge impartially.

“There are more important things than individual relationships.  The important thing is the sport, and that the sport has got credibility,” said the Briton.

It is believed that Brazilian legend Emerson Fittipaldi, the double world champion and now 63-year-old, will preside at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and that Nigel Mansell could be the steward at his beloved Silverstone.

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