Simon Crafar explains why MotoGP steward role is "more than punishing riders"

Simon Crafar began his role as an FIM MotoGP Steward in 2025, stepping into a position that has long been a magnet for criticism. After years of controversy and perceived inconsistency under Freddie Spencer’s tenure, Crafar’s appointment marked a philosophical shift in how stewarding is approached at the top level of motorcycle racing.

A former 500cc Grand Prix winner, Crafar brings not only credibility but also empathy—born from personal experience on the track. His goal is clear: to move beyond the reputation of the steward as a cold arbiter of penalties and instead focus on protecting riders.

“It’s important for me to explain that so many people see my role as that of the punisher, the one who dispenses sanctions. But I see it differently, for me it is a job aimed at protecting the riders and that’s how it is,” Crafar explained his role in an interview to GPOne.

“The rules are written that way to protect riders from danger, and I think part of my job is just to prevent riders from making the same mistakes over and over again.

“But also to protect them from dangers that could potentially have serious consequences. I think my role is more than simply being someone who punishes riders.”

The 56-year-old Kiwi is no stranger to the Grand Prix world. He rode for WCM Yamaha in the 1998 season, famously winning the British Grand Prix at Donington Park—becoming the only non-Honda rider to claim victory in a season dominated by Mick Doohan and Repsol Honda.

Simon Crafar conscious of MotoGP bike evolution

Since then, the bike has evolved dramatically, especially in terms of technology and complexity. That’s why, Crafar says, communication with the riders has become a crucial part of stewarding.

“With these bikes everything is difficult and that’s also why talking to the riders has become even more important because they often have information that you as a judge don’t have,” he continues.

“I always listen to them before making any judgments along with my colleagues.

“Things happen to the riders that you cannot know so sometimes you are faced with accidents that maybe were caused by technical issues on the bikes, that you could not know without talking to the rider.

“Things like that always make us think a lot because we know that we have to take technical assumptions behind certain accidents into account, and that’s exactly why we talk to the riders a lot before we make judgments. It’s not a big problem but it certainly makes things more difficult.”

His approach has already been noticed by riders—most notably Marc Márquez.

After a fierce but clean battle with teammate Francesco Bagnaia at Mugello, Márquez was summoned to speak with the stewards. While no incident occurred, the conversation left a positive impression.

“Nothing, it’s just MotoGP,” Marquez told Sky Italy back in Mugello when asked why he went to the stewards.

“Yeah [everything is fine], Simon Crafar is doing really well. He always wants to talk to all the riders and know all their opinions.

“In the end, it’s not like in the past when they called you in to tell you what you did wrong. They want to know what happened.”