“It is not a professional paid job” - George Russell on current ‘swearing situation’ and stewarding in F1

George Russell said issues surrounding driver swearing and inconsistencies in stewarding decisions during the USGP weekend will be key topics in the upcoming Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) meeting on Friday in Mexico. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the race weekend, the Mercedes driver emphasized the need for permanent, professional stewards in F1, rather than the current rotating system.

The incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin has reignited debates over driving standards and inconsistent rulings by the stewards. Russell revealed that a separate meeting between drivers and the FIA had already been scheduled, where these matters would be addressed.

The meeting, planned even before Austin, comes after Verstappen received a community service penalty for swearing during a press conference. Russell confirmed that the swearing issue will also be discussed. The meeting will take place after Friday’s drivers’ briefing with the race director.

George Russell, the president of the GPDA, opined that one of the key reasons for inconsistent decisions by the stewards in F1 is the lack of permanent stewards. He believes the sport needs a set of clear guidelines for the rotating stewards to follow to ensure consistency.

The 26-year-old acknowledged that the role, often undertaken by former F1 drivers and volunteers, is difficult but emphasized that it should be carried out by professionals, similar to how referees are employed full-time in football.

Asked if inconsistent steward decisions will be a talking point in the drivers' briefing, George Russell said:

“Yeah between the drivers, we are going to have a sit down after the drivers' briefing anyway. That was actually planned prior to the Austin weekend and of course, there’s a lot going on at the moment, especially with the swearing situation. I guess between us, we will talk to the FIA and understand their viewpoint first and then we can judge. At the end of the day, the stewards are doing the best job they can. They’re trying their hardest and they do have a set of guidelines of which they follow.”

“We've spoken about consistency in the past, the only way you can have consistency is if you have the same stewards at every single race weekend. At the moment they are very experienced that they are here as almost volunteers, it is not a professional paid job. And if you look at football, for example, even though there is controversy, a referee, they are professionals and it is their full time job and thats where they make their full time income. In the sport we are at the moment, that is probably the direction we should be headed," George Russell added.

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George Russell says USGP penalties were fair but Max Verstappen deserved one too

George Russell felt his own and Lando Norris’ penalties were fair by the rule book. However, he said Max Verstappen deserved one too for forcing a driver off-track.

The Mercedes driver opined that the root cause of the issue was the drivers' violating track limits due to the lack of gravel on the corner. Like the Austrian GP track limit issues, which were addressed by adding gravel to the corners, the GPDA president felt the Circuit of the Americas needed a similar solution.

Voicing his opinion on the penalties for himself, Norris, and Verstappen’s maneuver, George Russell said:

“I mean it's a very difficult task, at the end of the day you need to have some regulation, you need to have some sort of guideline especially when we are having different stewards every single week, who have a slightly different interpretation. For me when you look back, I thought my penalty was harsh but probably correct. Looking at Lando’s, that was probably correct as well. But Max probably should have also got a penalty for running off the track.”

George Russell continued:

“For me the root cause of the problem is having a circuit that allows you to run wide and if we take Austria last year, they had about 300 track limits problems. They put gravel in and there’s no problems. If you put gravel in that corner, Max doesn’t go off and overtake and Max doesn’t brake that late and go off as well. So I think we need to tackle the root cause.”

McLaren have filed a ‘Right of Review,’ citing new evidence regarding the incident between Norris and Verstappen. Red Bull have been summoned by the stewards to present their side of the argument.

A decision is expected after Friday’s Free Practice sessions. The drivers’ briefing in Mexico will include a meeting with the race director, followed by a session with the FIA to clarify interpretations of the regulations and better understand recent decisions.