FIA considers major breakthrough in the use of stewards in Formula 1

On Thursday evening, the FIA and Formula 1 drivers sat down for a much-discussed meeting following months of complaints about inconsistent stewarding. Drivers have repeatedly argued that decisions lacked uniformity and that too little input came from former drivers.

The meeting, which GPblog understands lasted nearly two hours, allowed every driver to share views on the past season. The FIA has already published a statement with the key points discussed.

The annual meeting between stewards and drivers is meant to refine the guidelines for the coming year. However, those guidelines have become a source of frustration. Drivers argue the handbook is too large and overly prescriptive, and that guidelines are being enforced as rigid rules.

This, they say, leaves no room for interpretation. Oscar Piastri’s penalty in Brazil was cited as an example of guidelines being applied as hard rules, where a former driver might have judged that mitigating factors meant Piastri was not at fault.

The FIA is not yet finalising its 2026 framework, but it is considering significant changes based on driver feedback. One major shift would be an expanded role for the Driver Steward. Each race weekend includes four stewards, one of whom is a former driver. In 2026, the Driver Steward is expected to have greater influence when guidelines offer no clear answer or unique circumstances apply.

The Driver Stewards for 2026 - Vitantonio Liuzzi, Pedro Lamy, and Derek Warwick - were present at Thursday’s meeting. The FIA said it welcomes additional candidates, though none are currently in the pipeline.

In Thursday’s press conference, Carlos Sainz mentioned analysts such as Jolyon Palmer, Karun Chandhok, and Anthony Davidson as good former drivers who can analyze an incident on TV very well from a driver’s perspective. Sainz would therefore like to see more of this type of steward working for the FIA.

“If you have to attend 24 races nowadays, then that requires a fixed salary. The job has to be meaningful because it takes a lot of your time,” Sainz added.

The FIA remains opposed to permanent stewards, arguing that past experience showed it can create bias. It prefers a rotation system, which is likely to remain in place for 2026.

However, the federation is seriously considering paying stewards, or having 'professional' stewards like in other sports.

Currently they receive only an expense allowance, a situation uncommon in other major sports. Introducing salaries could attract more former drivers who currently prefer TV analyst roles.

Although the Driver Steward’s influence will grow, each weekend will still feature four stewards. Legal experts and other members of the panel will not always have the final word, as a purely literal interpretation of the rules is expected to become less common.

On some weekends, a fifth steward, an intern from the FIA’s High Performance steward-training programme, will join the panel. These additions will support the regular stewards during busier weekends and gain experience in real-world decision-making.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is keen to expand the FIA's stewarding programme to ensure there is sufficient talent across different categories.