Warwick and Stewart hope that Grosjean will serve as an example

If the sanction imposed on Romain Grosjean stirs passions after he was found responsible for the accident at the Source corner during the Belgian Grand Prix, some applaud the severity the FIA seems finally decided to demonstrate towards the behavior of certain drivers. Thus, Derek Warwick, accustomed to the role of driver-steward, believes that Romain Grosjean’s suspension is a strong signal sent to all drivers: « If something considered dangerous happens, then I think the stewards must be able to act as they did at Spa, where they were absolutely right. Romain is a great driver, fast and good in the race when he gets through the first lap. But we have had twelve races, and I believe he has had seven incidents during the first lap. The suspension was justified. […] Hopefully, others will learn what can happen to them. I think all drivers, and I don’t care if it’s Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, or Sebastian Vettel, are not immune to being suspended for one or two races. »

For Jackie Stewart, who had proposed his advice to Romain Grosjean, the Frenchman can even consider himself lucky: « I think the only thing that makes race drivers react is not being allowed to race. As for financial penalties, I honestly think most of them make enough money to pay them. […] The suspension affects what matters most and lets them know what they must not do. I think it’s the right decision and, in a way, Grosjean can consider himself lucky not to have been suspended for two races because there have been too many incidents in one season. »

On the drivers’ side, Pastor Maldonado, who has already received seven penalties for race incidents, believes that the stewards are too harsh: “This year, they seem tougher, not just with me, but with everyone. It’s as if they don’t like race contacts and we’re flirting a bit with the limit. [But] we have to respect that.” However, the Venezuelan driver believes it takes time to adapt to the tougher penalties: “Every time you’re on the track, you have to assess the situation. […] It’s difficult to say today what I’m going to change, I need to think more and evaluate the situation in the car.” And the Williams driver added: “We have to adapt to the stewards and that’s it.”

Emanuele Pirro, who will serve as a driver steward in Monza, however, acknowledges that there are undoubtedly improvements to be made within the panel of stewards and that decisions can vary depending on the personalities involved: [Personally], I try to participate and contribute my experience, which can be very useful on some occasions: there are drivers who bring their personality and others who are more discreet. But there is a list of things that drivers are not allowed to do.

For the Italian, even though there is a follow-up race after race, with the transmission of a complete and confidential dossier to explain the decisions of the previous Grand Prix, the role of a sports commissioner could become more professional: « I don’t think it is necessary for it to always be the same driver officiating, but rather a small group of three or four drivers who keep each other informed and continually update themselves. This way, we could have some consistency in the decisions. »

A “professionalization” of the role of commissioner would be all the more justified since the task is complex. Emanuele Pirro notably mentions the difficulty imposed by reading the telemetric data, often used by commissioners in their decision-making process: I won’t say who, but one team had provided enlarged telemetry: on the track, two km/h seemed to make 20. They tried, but since I was present, it didn’t go well. And the five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans adds: Before making a decision, it is essential to put oneself in the place of the driver being summoned. In some cases, I have heard explanations that made absolutely no sense, but in other cases, drivers gave detailed explanations to justify their maneuvers.

Regarding Romain Grosjean’s accident, the Italian is, of course, bound by the duty of discretion as a driver-steward, but seems understanding of the situation that caused the accident: « From a driver’s perspective, I can immediately say if a start is good or not as soon as you release the clutch. With a good start, you generally look ahead, whereas if the start is hesitant, you look behind… »