Formula One Stewards Power in 2011

The FIA has releases after their meeting in Monaco on December 10th, that they will continue with the use of former drivers on the stewards' panel at Formula 1 races next year - as well as adopting the policy for other championships in 2011.

Following an initiative pushed through by FIA president Jean Todt for 2010, the three regular stewards at grands prix were joined by former high-profile drivers who could offer insight about incidents from a racing perspective.

Over the course of the season a number of former world champions helped fulfil the role of the drivers' steward – including Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Nigel Mansell – as well as other respected figures like Johnny Herbert, Alex Wurz and Tom Kristensen.

The policy of using a driver received widespread support in the paddock – with both drivers and team principals supporting the scheme.

Jenson Button was quoted on saying, "To have a former driver on the panel is a good idea. They know what's right and what's wrong; what's safe and what's close to the limit, as they have been around a long time themselves."

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner was quoted: "From our perspective the driver steward idea has worked very well. It has added another perspective to the stewards and there have been a couple of instances where I can think of where this has made things different for us, where the driver steward read the situation correctly and the decision was thought through.

"Their experience has added an extra dimension and it is popular with the teams and the drivers and it is a good thing for F1."

So what this means is that Michael Schumacher will have to watch out. Not only because some of his past 'rivals' will still be able to penalize him but now the Formula One stewards have been given additional new powers by the FIA as well. 

In the past stewards were only allowed to impose upon a driver a drive-through penalty, a 10-second time penalty or a drop of any number of grid positions for the next event. But now stewards can exclude a driver from the race classification or suspend him from the next grand prix.

The stewards also are given the power to enforce any driver who ignores the waved blue flags that indicate a slower car should move aside. 

Another little gem that was discovered within the new Sporting Regulations for the 2011 season is that the FIA also made it clear it will not allow overtaking in the pit lane next year.

"Any car(s) driven to the end of the pit lane prior to the start or re-start of a practice session, or any car(s) required to stop at the pit exit during a safety car period, must form up in a line in the fast lane and leave in the order they got there unless another car is unduly delayed."