Formula One stewards are supposed to deliver justice on the track, but in 2024, their rulings sparked controversy instead. The latest season had its fair share of controversies, ranging from inconsistent penalties and delayed rulings, to debates over potential reforms. These raised questions over the effectiveness of the current decision-making system—does decision-making in Formula One need an overhaul? 

The stewarding system isn’t overly complicated. Each race uses a rotating panel system, which consists of three stewards, a chairman, and a driver steward who provides on-track insight. This panel notably changes each race, as the championship moves from country to country, and therefore, from track to track. Stewards have multiple tools at their disposal: radio messages, GPS data, and different camera angles, to name a few. This increased use of technology is one of the ways the FIA ensures fair decisions are made, but it hasn’t eliminated controversy entirely.

The 2024 F1 season delivered plenty of entertainment, with seven different race winners, and a battle for the Constructors’ Championship that went to the final race. But it wasn’t without criticism, especially when it came to stewards’ decisions. Fans, teams, and drivers voiced frustration over an inconsistency around penalties, particularly when it came to overtaking infractions. Delayed rulings also caused much debate, when race control took too long to ‘red flag’ a qualifying session or race, or when post-race penalties were given out. One of the season’s largest dramas off the track also stemmed from an incident in the stewards’ room, in which Max Verstappen was called to the stewards after George Russell accused him of impeding his qualifying lap. Verstappen was handed a one-place grid penalty as a result, giving Russell pole position instead. The fallout extended beyond the stewards’ room: in the driver’s briefing afterwards, Verstappen said he had “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver, and that he’d “never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard”. Russell subsequently responded with claims that Verstappen had threatened to “purposefully” crash into him and put his “fucking head in the wall”. With tensions running high and controversies mounting, the role of the stewards has become one of the sport’s most pressing issues, underscoring the need for a more consistent and transparent decision-making system.

Perhaps the solution lies in other sports. The VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system in football has faced a lot of criticism for delays and inconsistencies, but it has improved communication and led to clearer protocols that F1 could benefit from. Tennis’ Hawk-Eye system automates line-calling, and this could be an easy, objective way of judging track limits in F1. Cricket’s DRS (Decision Review System) minimises disputes through its transparency—F1 could greatly benefit from adopting live audio explanations of decisions, to keep stewards accountable, and to prevent speculation around decision-making. 

Many of the reform proposals include a call for full-time stewards, ones that stay the same at each track. These even come from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and most noticeably, George Russell, director of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association). He told Autosport “if you were to have the same stewards week in, week out, the consistency will be better because they’re interpreting things in the same manner and the drivers understand exactly what they expect in a given circumstance”, adding: “I do think we’re at a point now in this sport that we do need a full-time professional steward in where they earn a real salary”. This naturally raises concerns about costs, but I think that the sport would greatly benefit from a standardised, permanent panel across the season.

As Formula One continues to grow, both in popularity and profitability, its stewarding system also needs to match the sport’s progress. The 2024 season highlighted that although the stewards’ role is vital, the current system is struggling. By drawing inspiration from other sports, and addressing key issues like consistency and accountability, F1 can ensure that the focus each weekend stays with on-track action, rather than post-race debate.