Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing driver, expressed his concern about the constant inconsistency in the decisions of the Formula 1 stewards after the penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso in Australia. The stewards decided to impose a 20-second penalty on Alonso for his involvement in an incident that caused George Russell to retire at Turn Six on the last lap. The stewards’ report stated that Alonso significantly reduced his speed earlier than usual and downshifted at a point where he had not done so before. Perez agreed with the decision to penalize Alonso but fears that this does not set a precedent for similar incidents in the future. He highlighted his own penalty of a three-place grid drop for impeding Nico Hulkenberg in Q1 and other situations that went unpunished, underscoring the inconsistencies in penalties. Perez expressed his fear that incidents like this could occur again without any consequences, emphasizing the need for consistency in the penalties imposed by the stewards.
Asked about the potential benefits of having a permanent steward, Perez responded affirmatively. He expressed the belief that having permanent stewards or improving communication within the FIA would lead to consistent improvement in races. Perez cited an example of a previous race where he blocked Hulkenberg, resulting in minimal damage, but Bottas was able to reach speeds of 300 km/h with two cars in an unsafe position without any penalty. He emphasized the need for improvement and consistency within the FIA.
It was suggested that a disadvantage of implementing a permanent commissioner is the possibility of personal bias resulting in continuous penalties against a specific pilot. When asked about the reasons behind the current setup, Perez highlighted the lack of connection from one weekend to another. He noted that when commissioners change, there is no continuity in considering events from previous races. Perez believed that this lack of regularity and continuity hinders the decision-making process.
When asked about the potential benefits of introducing consistent decision-making, Perez emphasized the importance of continuity and communication. He compared this to setting up a car for races, stating that without learning from each race and communicating incidents, it would be difficult to find the right compromise.
