Emmanuelle Pirro will be the driver steward in Melbourne
Since the introduction of driver stewards initiated by Jean Todt three years ago, several former participants in the Formula 1 Championship have taken turns in this role. In Melbourne, for the first Grand Prix of the 2014 season, it will be Emmanuelle Pirro's turn to take on this responsibility.
Nigel Mansell, Tom Kristensen, Derek Warwick, Alan Jones… several prestigious names have taken turns as driving stewards during the Grand Prix, offering their opinions, with varying degrees of influence, on the various race incidents that might occur.
The person who will be tasked with this mission in Australia for the first round of the 2014 season is likely to have a significant workload. The major regulatory changes have notably impacted the driving style. During various pre-season tests, it was not uncommon to observe numerous and unusual errors or off-track excursions by the drivers, which could well have more “dramatic” consequences in a Grand Prix field.
And it is the Italian Emmanuelle Pirro who will be in charge of overseeing this race. The 52-year-old Roman, five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and former driver for Benetton and Scuderia Italia between 1989 and 1991, will have a lot on his plate. Especially since the rain could well cause disruption on Sunday…
