Who the stewards are
The FIA stewards panel consists of four officials: the FIA steward (a permanent FIA employee), two sporting stewards (former drivers or team personnel), and the race director. Together, they are responsible for enforcing the sporting regulations and making decisions on incidents during a race weekend.
The stewards are not the same people at every race. The FIA rotates them to ensure a diversity of perspectives and to prevent any single individual from having too much influence over the championship.
How decisions are made
When an incident occurs during a race, the stewards follow a structured process:
- The incident is flagged by race control or the stewards themselves
- Video evidence is reviewed from multiple angles
- The drivers involved may be called to explain their actions
- The stewards consult the sporting regulations
- A decision is made and communicated to the teams
The entire process usually takes minutes, but for complex incidents it can take hours.
Why consistency is the biggest challenge
The most common criticism of F1 stewarding is inconsistency. Two similar incidents can receive different penalties because the stewards judge context differently. This is not necessarily wrong — context matters — but it creates frustration among fans and teams.
The FIA has tried to address this by publishing stewards' decisions as precedent, creating a database of past rulings that current stewards can reference. But the system is not perfect, and debate about consistency will always be part of F1.
The 2026 changes
In 2026, the FIA introduced a new stewarding structure that includes a permanent panel of former drivers who provide real-time advice during races. This is designed to improve consistency and reduce the perception that decisions are arbitrary.