Lewis Hamilton has claimed that Formula One stewards are biased and demanded changes ahead of the new season.
The 37-year-old was back on track for the first day of testing in Barcelona on Tuesday, two months after he was denied a record-breaking eighth world title.
Last week the FIA fired race director Michael Masi — the man who bent the rules in Abu Dhabi and allowed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to take the title following a late safety car. But Hamilton now says the sport’s governing body must look at their stewards.
Four officials from a rotating pool steward every Grand Prix, with at least one a driver who has raced competitively.
“We need to make sure we have non-biased stewards,” said Hamilton. “Some of the former race drivers, who are now stewards, are very good friends with certain individuals. Some travel with certain individuals and tend to take more of a keen liking to them.”
Hamilton has stated he needed to step back from the sport following the controversial finale in Abu Dhabi last year.
“So (we need) people who have no bias and are going to be super central when making decisions.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff disagreed with his driver.
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“I don’t think it is a conscious bias,” he said. “The stewards are intelligent. But there needs to be a standard.
“The most important topic is inconsistency and there shouldn’t be a lot of room to interpret the rules.”
Red Bull chief Christian Horner added: “I am not aware of any stewards travelling with drivers and I certainly don’t think there was bias from any stewards in the last seasons.”
Hamilton insisted he wanted to put the Abu Dhabi controversy behind him. Asked if he was owed an apology by the FIA, he said: “I am here to focus on my job, which is to get on top of the new car and the new regulations. There is no point looking back.”
The new season begins in Bahrain on March 20. — Daily Mail.
