FIA called to make seismic F1 change that would transform the sport forever

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FIA called to make seismic change that would transform F1 forever

That's one way to do it...

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Tuesday 14 July 2026 10:55

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Former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has called once again for the sport and the FIA to introduce full-time race stewards.

The outspoken former Haas chief used this year's British Grand Prix finish as an example of his point, when the race was not allowed to restart from behind the safety car on the final lap because of a rule that meant things couldn't get back underway for a full lap after lapped cars passed the safety car to unlap themselves.

Steiner's argument, presented on the Red Flags podcast, appeared to be that full-time stewards would be able to work behind the scenes to improve and increase the number of situational rules for minutely rare instances like the race at Silverstone.

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He bemoaned the fact that, five years on from 'biggest debacle in in Formula 1 in the last 50 years' in Abu Dhabi in 2021, F1 still hasn't sorted out its late-race safety car restart rules in a satisfactory way.

Steiner: Permanent stewards would help find solutions

"We need to start a campaign soon. You know what I'm always saying. Full-time stewards that work on a plan. This is not to blame the stewards, because the stewards had nothing to do with this, it's the race director. But if the race director would have permanent stewards, the permanent stewards would help him to find ways around not to look like we did again in Silverstone.

"I would agree if the lapped cars have unlapped them at least half a lap, but there's only one lap to go, they will not catch them, so they will not be in the way. So we can start the race. But obviously, the race director did what is written in the rule book.

"I don't know this software problem [where the incorrect message that the safety car would come in with one lap to go], if that is real. I think they said, 'oh, let's restart the race', and somebody said 'you cannot do this because the rules say you cannot do this'. Then they said 'oh I'm out of here now, just stop everything, I don't want to embarrass myself'."

He added: "This end of race, we had the biggest debacle in in Formula 1 in the last 50 years, five years ago. And have we found a proper solution? No, because now obviously, if you would have people there full time which work on this solution, make a software program, or with AI can help you a lot to have a quick solution for this."

GPFans has contacted the FIA for comment.

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F1 FIA British Grand Prix Guenther Steiner