FIA outlines plans for new F1 officials department
The FIA claims that its new Officials Department will make the organization "more professional" in the future, in the face of Formula 1 teams' concerns about the inconsistency of stewards' decisions.
Last September, the FIA announced **the creation of a department dedicated to the training of officials** for all the motorsport competitions it oversees. Led by the experienced Italian commissioner Matteo Perini, appointed head of sports officials, this department’s mission is to train **a new generation of officials** and to strengthen the FIA’s talent pool.
A response from the FIA
The FIA acknowledges that it lacks a sufficient number of marshals, race directors, and other trained officials, a problem amplified by the frequent criticisms from F1 teams regarding the inconsistency of decisions in recent years. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also been criticized for his internal management, particularly after disagreements that led to the departure of some officials.
For example, Tim Mayer, a long-serving commissioner, was dismissed following a disagreement with Mohammed Ben Sulayem over handling a track invasion at the United States Grand Prix. Additionally, ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the president replaced race director Niels Wittich with Rui Marques, the director of F2 and F3. Janette Tan, a respected official considered to succeed Rui Marques, was also dismissed in the short term, forcing Rui Marques to manage a busier schedule for the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In an interview with Autosport, Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s single-seater director, stated that this new department of officials aims to make the organization less dependent on volunteers and to enable better analysis of decisions, outside race weekends.
« It probably becomes unfair to rely solely on people who do it out of pure goodwill, as is currently the case », he stated. « We wish to evolve toward a more professional organization, without excluding volunteers, but with a structure capable of analyzing every decision from Monday morning after a race, checking their relevance, and identifying what can be improved. »
Changes to improve the situation
The department also plans to enhance remote monitoring capabilities to better control violations and centralize efforts. Nikolas Tombazis added that this change would allow for an increase in the number of qualified officials and ensure generational continuity.
In response to the criticism regarding inconsistency, an analysis by the FIA and some teams, including Aston Martin, revealed that the stewards’ decisions are more consistent than generally believed. However, it is necessary to expand the pool of officials to meet future needs.
Furthermore, Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently *tightened the rules against violations of the sporting code*, particularly concerning swearing or political and religious statements infringing on the FIA’s principles of neutrality. The code update provides for fines of up to 120,000 euros, points deductions in the championship, and even suspensions. The *Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA)* has published an open letter asking the FIA to treat drivers as adults, but has not yet responded to the new guidelines.
Read also: The FIA strengthens sanctions against foul language in F1
