FIA steward appointment courts controversy ahead of F1 Canadian Grand Prix

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FIA steward appointment courts controversy ahead of Canadian Grand Prix

FIA steward Derek Warwick has been taking part in media duties

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 11 June 2025 12:13

The appointment of Derek Warwick as an FIA race steward for the Canadian Grand Prix has prompted controversy, after he spoke out about F1 champion Max Verstappen's incident with George Russell.

Warwick will be involved in the decision-making process during the weekend in Montreal, meaning he could be responsible for deciding whether or not to hand Verstappen a one-race ban, if the Dutchman commits another misdemeanour.

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That's because the four-time world champion is one penalty point away from hitting the 12-point threshold for a ban, following a move on Russell in Spain that saw him appear to intentionally crash into the British driver.

Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points for the move, but some commentators believe that he should have been punished more harshly, with 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg saying that he should have been disqualified.

In the week following that Spanish GP, Warwick decided to voice his opinion on the controversial Spanish GP incident citing that Verstappen's penalty was fair.

However, Warwick's decision to talk through the media has caused controversy, not least because former F1 driver Johnny Herbert was dismissed from his role with the FIA at the start of the year for conducting similar interviews between races.

The FIA said at the time in a statement that: "It was mutually agreed that his duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible."

GPFans have contacted the FIA for comment on the matter surrounding Warwick.

What did Warwick say about Verstappen incident?

Warwick has been an active FIA race steward for several years, but is only picked to steward certain races, in a rotation with other FIA personnel.

On Verstappen's controversial collision with Russell, Warwick said to Plejmo: "Should he have done what he did at turn five with George Russell? Absolutely not. Did he get a penalty for it? Yes. He got a 10-second time penalty and 3 penalty points, which now puts him within one point of a race ban.

"Some people compare it to Vettel, who got a 10-second drive-through penalty in Baku for deliberately making contact with Lewis Hamilton. But if you look at the footage carefully, you can see that Max - although he made a late attempt to overtake - then steered away from George. It's just that the speed carried him into George anyway.

"I'm not condoning it, I'm not saying it was right - it was absolutely wrong, and the FIA were right to give a penalty.

"Should the punishment have been more severe? I actually think they were spot on," Warwick continued. "Some people think he should have been suspended, as an example to young karters, and that is understandable. But I think the punishment is appropriate.

"You have to judge each incident on its own merits, this was very questionable, it is not the kind of action I like to see. I am doing Canada this weekend, so I think I will be busy," he concluded, confirming his involvement in Montreal.

Max Verstappen FIA George Russell Canadian Grand Prix Nico Rosberg Derek Warwick