The Formula 1 stewards once again found themselves under the spotlight at the Dutch Grand Prix after handing drive-through penalties to Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad.
Both drivers were penalised for overtaking another competitor under yellow flags in the aftermath of Max Verstappen’s heavy crash on the opening lap of the Zandvoort race.
The Alpine and Racing Bulls drivers both disagreed with the decisions, which also sparked criticism from fans, particularly in Argentina. An executive at one of Colapinto’s main sponsors went even further on social media, questioning the integrity of the FIA stewards in a post that has since been deleted.
In response, the FIA confirmed it was investigating its legal options after abuse was directed at the race stewards in the fallout of the incident.
Read Also:
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was asked about the controversy during a media session at the FIA American Congress in Buenos Aires, including whether the FIA could look to appoint more South American stewards to officiate at Formula 1 races.
“To us, it’s about all the drivers,” he said. “But I do agree with you. We are now having training. We even called for a training course. So, we asked the ASNs [FIA Member Clubs] to send us names that we can train because we are going to rotate the stewards.”
Ben Sulayem added that concerns over the stewards’ decisions are not confined to Argentina, revealing that he has also received similar complaints from Britain.
“I will look into it, because I have also heard other people saying that they are against other people. I get the same thing,” he added, “They think that the FIA is against the British, but we are not against them. But, you know, sometimes it’s good to ask the stewards and always go to them and say: always be fair.
“You can be tough, but you have to be fair. Fairness is the mission of the FIA. But we will look into that and see. And I will speak to him [Colapinto]. I will call Franco myself. I will hear what he has to say.”
Stewards faced a backlash after penalising Franco Colapinto in the Netherlands
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Ben Sulayem doubles down on fight against online abuse
The FIA condemned the online harassment directed at F1 stewards in the wake of the Dutch Grand Prix, particularly over Colapinto’s penalty at Zandvoort. Asked about the issue, Ben Sulayem was unequivocal in his opposition to such behaviour, but stressed that tackling online abuse requires a collective effort across the motorsport community.
“The abuse is happening to the drivers, to the journalists, to the officials, to many of us,” he said. “And two years ago, two and a half years ago, I said, if I don’t do something about it, our sport will be beyond repair. It’s over.
“Because I remember in Miami, two years ago, we had an issue. One of our stewards, she was a lady from Spain. She was threatened to kill her, kill her family. So, then we started this unity against online abuse. Governments, federations, media, together. And now the momentum is going on. The teams are with it. This is a marathon. I cannot do it alone. The FIA cannot do it alone. It’s a combined effort.”
The FIA president also highlighted a study indicating that the vast majority of online abuse originates in the Americas, while stressing that the issue extends well beyond motorsport.
“Seventy percent of the abuse was coming from the two Americas (North and South). And then the rest is actually from Europe, maybe 18% or something. So, the rest of the world is only 12% or 10%. And all sports, not only motorsport,” he concluded.
Read Also:
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Team