F1 might end a spate of near-constant driver penalties by installing a permanent race steward.<\/p>\n
FIA president Jean Todt’s new initiative of having a former professional racing driver on the stewards’ panel at every grand prix has been widely praised.<\/p>\n
But the system may not be perfect, as the last couple of grands prix indicate.<\/p>\n
Some observers were amazed that Sebastian Vettel’s swerve against Jenson Button at the Suzuka start last weekend was not penalised.<\/p>\n
“I am not going to lie.\u00a0 At that moment in time, yes, I felt that it was a little bit more than was needed,” said Japanese grand prix winner Button.<\/p>\n
Alex Wurz, speaking on Austrian television ORF, said he thinks Vettel was lucky not to have his championship celebrations delayed by a penalty.<\/p>\n
“He was lucky that (1980 world champion) Alan Jones was the driver steward, because someone else might have issued a warning or even a stop and go,” he said.<\/p>\n
Agreed a report in Speed Week: “Obviously Alan Jones took a tough approach (at Suzuka).”<\/p>\n
Like Button, also upset at Suzuka was Felipe Massa, angry that Lewis Hamilton’s latest collision went unpunished.<\/p>\n
“They (the stewards) have penalised people for much less this year and this time they didn’t do it,” said the Brazilian.<\/p>\n
Force India team manager Otmar Szafnauer agrees that consistency is crucial so that drivers know how to behave.<\/p>\n
“If something has happened three times before then he knows the way it is and what has to happen,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
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