Tensions between drivers and FIA: a constructive meeting held in Qatar

In a context marked by tensions between drivers and stewards, the meeting was held under the leadership of Garry Connelly, president of the FIA sports stewards. This unprecedented exchange in its intensity and scope aimed to clarify the guidelines governing overtaking maneuvers and promote a balance between entertainment and safety. “The drivers have been extraordinary in their comments,” Connelly said, praising the absence of conflicts or harsh criticisms. It was a constructive tone, breaking with the recent reproaches of George Russell, who had expressed his frustration with decisions he deemed inconsistent and sometimes unfair.

« The meeting was the most productive we have ever attended, admitted Connelly. « They were very constructive. There were no negative comments. No one pointed fingers. It was very inspiring to see the world’s best drivers communicate clearly and discuss in a constructive manner how we can improve driving standards guidelines for the benefit of drivers and to facilitate our work all.

The dialogue revolved around pilots’ expectations regarding behavioral standards. Connelly emphasized that rules should be applied fairly to everyone: « As stewards, our role is not to punish pilots. We are here to ensure a level playing field. It’s not us against the pilots, but the drivers against each other, and our mission is to ensure that everyone benefits from the same opportunities. »

This statement aims to ease tensions, as incidents that occurred this season, notably during the United States and Mexico Grand Prix, have fueled debates about the impartiality of the stewards.

Review the fundamentals of driving techniques in F1

Another crucial point of this meeting concerned the evolution of the steering directives, these rules that set the piloting standards. Each year, this document is adjusted to better reflect the realities of the competition and the feedback from the pilots. They now favor the defender who can act in a way to block a pilot, sometimes a little too much to the liking of some pilots.

Discussions with the stewards allowed us to address the issue: « We have an open-door policy. The door to the stewards’ room is always open to any driver who wishes to discuss with us a decision, whether it directly concerns them or another driver. Thursday’s meeting clearly highlighted this open-door policy. »

« The driving directives are a living document. Every year, as Formula 1 stewards, we try to meet with the drivers, team principals, and FIA representatives to see if adjustments to the directives are necessary, leveraging the experience of the past 12 months, and to find improvements to ensure consistency. The purpose of the directives is consistency. »

« As commissioners, if the pilots, the teams, and the FIA wish for rules or guidelines allowing for more aggressive driving, we will apply these rules or guidelines. Likewise, if they want stricter standards of driving conduct, we will apply them », Connelly clarified. This adaptation process seems to directly address the criticisms made by Russell, who had called for a more consistent approach to race incidents.

Arrange meetings as soon as needed.

Tim Malyon, FIA’s sporting director for single-seaters, highlighted the importance of these regular exchanges. The discussions held in Qatar are part of the continuity of similar meetings held in Austin and Mexico.

« We have had very constructive meetings with the drivers during the last races, and this specific meeting was organized to provide a space for continuing this open dialogue, so that we can freely exchange with the drivers and thus evolve the guidelines for next year, ” added Malyon.

« Usually, we organize this type of meeting once or twice a year, depending on the topics that arise. This year, we scheduled this meeting after the constructive discussions that took place in Mexico and Austin. »

This proactive approach shows the FIA’s willingness to meet the expectations of an increasingly demanding paddock, also linked to the closer performance levels between teams, which make duels and overtaking attempts more common now than a few years ago, for the benefit of the show.

Limit the possibility for drivers to go off the track.

The issue of track layout was also addressed, particularly the developments related to runoff areas. On some tracks, especially those designed for MotoGP and F1, the runoff areas are completely asphalted, allowing F1 cars to exceed track limits without any fear of losing grip.

To counter this phenomenon, techniques for detecting exceeding limits have been put in place by the FIA, making sanctions very artificial because a driver’s lap could be canceled without the visual gap of the track being marked. The second problem generated by these run-off areas is the possibility of overtaking outside the track limits, sometimes causing more dangerous protections than if the drivers were battling on an urban circuit, for example, where the limits are marked by walls.

This year, gravel has been added to several tracks, such as in Austria and Qatar, to better manage track limits and encourage more controlled overtaking. Pilot feedback on these developments is essential to continue this work, Malyon said.

« As we did this year, we introduced gravel traps, starting in Austria, and of course, this weekend is perhaps the most obvious with gravel traps added in several places. We continue to collaborate with the circuits on all subjects, but it was very useful at yesterday’s meeting to get feedback from the drivers and see how they prioritize the concept of gravel traps, not only for track limits, but also to manage certain situations that have arisen with overtaking during the last four or five races. In summary, there has been a commitment to work together to find solutions that suit everyone », concluded Malyon.

These modifications are part of a logic of increased safety, but they also raise questions about their impact on the style of driving.

Finally, the meeting highlighted the FIA’s high-performance program, aimed at training a new generation of stewards. “This program is essential to ensure quality decisions and increased diversity among officials,” stressed Connelly, citing efforts to integrate more young talents and women into these roles. This project reflects a desire for modernization in a discipline often criticized for its lack of human development.