Carlos Sainz wants drastic change to F1 stewards after Dutch GP penalty U-turn

Carlos Sainz has renewed calls for permanent F1 stewards after his Dutch Grand Prix penalty was overturned following a right to review.

Sainz was handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his licence for an incident with Liam Lawson at Turn 1.

The Spaniard was unhappy with the penalty and Williams subsequently launched a right to review.

As Sainz served the 10-second penalty in the race, it couldn’t be removed even if the review was successful.

After Williams presented “new and significant” evidence, it was looked at again.

Williams were successful in their protest and Sainz’s penalty points were removed from his super licence.

Sainz is certain that F1 should have permanent stewards who earn salaries.

Currently, stewards change between races on a rotation basis.

“F1 and the FIA all agree that [permanent stewards] should be the way forward, where at least two of the three stewards are permanent and we have one rotational for teaching purposes,” Sainz told reporters in Baku on Thursday.

“For sporting fairness purposes, it should be to have one rotational but two permanent, and we shouldn’t care about who pays, because there is enough money in this sport to pay those salaries in the same way there’s enough money in the sport to pay the salaries of all the other people.

“So if that’s the right way forward, I cannot believe we’re talking about those salaries. What would help is that if I knew the referee was the same in every race, for me, I would know the pattern and, through years of working with them, how they were going to judge an incident in that moment.”

Sainz feels that the use of permanent stewards will make decision-making more consistent.

It will also give drivers a clear indication of what is and what isn’t allowed.

However, Sainz conceded that drivers might prefer different stewards throughout the season if they feel one of them is harsh towards them.

“When you work with different races with different referees, it is very difficult to understand if [a penalty] is coming or not,” Sainz added.

“We have different referees and no one complains, but there could be a guy who gets penalised two or three times and he will start blaming 'the steward that hates me.

“So I understand where they come from, those not in favour of permanent stewards, I understand, but I just have a very clear opinion on it.

“After Zandvoort, you saw me quite upset about the whole situation because I was very convinced that we had a point, and they were quite open to the discussion,” he added.

Sainz pleased with stewards’ review

Reflecting on the right to review, Sainz wasn’t surprised that his penalty was overturned.

The former Ferrari driver felt it was “black and white” in that it shouldn’t have ever been given.

“I could tell that they had a good conversation and realisation that maybe the judgment was not fully correct, and there were enough mechanisms to open the discussion again,” Sainz explained.

“I think that is a positive step, and the fact that they even took the opportunity to cancel the penalty points is a good sign.

“I’m not saying every case and scenario should be the same, but cases like that were pretty obvious, and there have been times in the past where I’d like to have done this, but the team just said: ‘Look, we won’t get anywhere because it has to be new and relevant.’

“The problem, I think, is that it was not as obvious as it could be, down to interpretation, but it was black and white, like there should never have been a penalty.

“I think it was so obvious the moment we presented the new evidence, that it was enough to open the discussion again and get it to correct itself.”