FIA stewards recommend changes to F1 Right of Review process

The FIA stewards who rejected McLaren’s right of review over Lando Norris’ Canadian Grand Prix penalty have suggested the process be reconsidered.

Norris was penalised for ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’ in Canada when he slowed ahead of pitting under Safety Car conditions.

By doing so, he covered off the risk of losing track position by stacking behind Oscar Piastri, whom he was directly behind at the time.

Officials handed Norris a five-second penalty for his actions, which ultimately demoted him from ninth to 13th in the final classification.

Within the sport’s judicial framework is the facility for teams to request a review of decisions, which is what McLaren did on this occasion.

Under that process, laid out in the FIA’s International Sporting Code (namely Article 14.1.1, see below) places the onus on the team to present significant, new, and relevant evidence that was unavailable at the time of the penalty.

It can make for what stewards in their summary of the Norris incident conceded was a “high bar” to clear.

In that instance, the stewards rejected the right of review deeming that although the evidence was significant, relevant and in most instances new, it was not relevant.

Also in the summary was commentary on the review process, with the stewards noting how it did not appear designed to cope with instances like that raised by McLaren.

“The requirements of Article 14.1.1 of the code are extremely onerous on the Petitioning Party, in our opinion,” the summary said.

“This article was, in our estimation, designed to deal with a decision taken at a stewards hearing and not an in-race decision where the competitor is not present (nor allowed to be present).

“Thus it is our recommendation that this requirement be reconsidered to take into account in-race decisions.”

Article 14.1.1

If, in Competitions forming part of an FIA Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series, or of an international series, a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned, the stewards who have given a ruling or, failing this, those designated by the FIA, may decide to re-examine their decision following a petition for review by:

• either one of the parties concerned and/or a party that is directly affected by the decision handed down, or
• the Secretary General for Sport of the FIA.