All kinds of news about F1.

[Just_a_fan]

The governing body for world motorsport reported an operating profit of €6.7 million for 2025, compared to a €24 million operating loss in 2021, while operating revenue climbed to €191.7 million, up 75% over the same period.

I guess there is no reason for FIA to not have professional panel of race stewards

1. No past F1 drivers
2. No TV / Media side jobs
3. FIA to have a diploma programme on technical and race officiating in collaboration with universities around the world
5. representation from around the world in the panel
6. retirement age of 50

Why no former F1 drivers?
I agree that the stewards shouldn't have any motorsport-related side hustles including media punditry.
Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo?

[FW17]

The governing body for world motorsport reported an operating profit of €6.7 million for 2025, compared to a €24 million operating loss in 2021, while operating revenue climbed to €191.7 million, up 75% over the same period.

I guess there is no reason for FIA to not have professional panel of race stewards

1. No past F1 drivers
2. No TV / Media side jobs
3. FIA to have a diploma programme on technical and race officiating in collaboration with universities around the world
5. representation from around the world in the panel
6. retirement age of 50

Why no former F1 drivers? - ensures no bias, not adjudicating ex colleagues, going by letter of rules rather than spirit of rules
I agree that the stewards shouldn't have any motorsport-related side hustles including media punditry.
Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo? we dont want the members of the panel to be there for generations, move on, give a chance to the youngsters

[Just_a_fan]

Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo? we dont want the members of the panel to be there for generations, move on, give a chance to the youngsters

Who's "we" and why don't "we" want people with experience? Stewarding is something that needs a cool head combined with experience of racing. Former racing drivers (even if you exclude F1 drivers) make good stewards and many of them race in to their 40s so wouldn't be available to steward until you are almost ready to retire them.

Sounds like you want a stewarding panel of young people who don't have relevant racing experience. Which seems like a strange way of improving stewarding.

[FW17]

Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo? we dont want the members of the panel to be there for generations, move on, give a chance to the youngsters

Who's "we" and why don't "we" want people with experience? Stewarding is something that needs a cool head combined with experience of racing. Former racing drivers (even if you exclude F1 drivers) make good stewards and many of them race in to their 40s so wouldn't be available to steward until you are almost ready to retire them.

Sounds like you want a stewarding panel of young people who don't have relevant racing experience. Which seems like a strange way of improving stewarding.

Stewarding as a professional job need not be a career path for washed up race drivers. 50 is more than enough time in the top job, start out of college with the qualification in your 20's, 10 years in ladder series and tin top club events, promoted to the top F2 and F1 in mid 30's. 15 years in the top series is more than enough.

Doesn't football have a retirement cutoff age for referees too?

[djos]

The governing body for world motorsport reported an operating profit of €6.7 million for 2025, compared to a €24 million operating loss in 2021, while operating revenue climbed to €191.7 million, up 75% over the same period.

I guess there is no reason for FIA to not have professional panel of race stewards

1. No past F1 drivers
2. No TV / Media side jobs
3. FIA to have a diploma programme on technical and race officiating in collaboration with universities around the world
5. representation from around the world in the panel
6. retirement age of 50

Why no former F1 drivers?
I agree that the stewards shouldn't have any motorsport-related side hustles including media punditry.
Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo?

Considering how blatantly biased some of them have been, eg Jonny Herbert, this is a good thing.

[Just_a_fan]

Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo? we dont want the members of the panel to be there for generations, move on, give a chance to the youngsters

Who's "we" and why don't "we" want people with experience? Stewarding is something that needs a cool head combined with experience of racing. Former racing drivers (even if you exclude F1 drivers) make good stewards and many of them race in to their 40s so wouldn't be available to steward until you are almost ready to retire them.

Sounds like you want a stewarding panel of young people who don't have relevant racing experience. Which seems like a strange way of improving stewarding.

Stewarding as a professional job need not be a career path for washed up race drivers. 50 is more than enough time in the top job, start out of college with the qualification in your 20's, 10 years in ladder series and tin top club events, promoted to the top F2 and F1 in mid 30's. 15 years in the top series is more than enough.

Doesn't football have a retirement cutoff age for referees too?

Referees are running around in all weathers whilst F1 stewards are sitting in air-conditioned rooms.

[Just_a_fan]

I guess there is no reason for FIA to not have professional panel of race stewards

1. No past F1 drivers
2. No TV / Media side jobs
3. FIA to have a diploma programme on technical and race officiating in collaboration with universities around the world
5. representation from around the world in the panel
6. retirement age of 50

Why no former F1 drivers?
I agree that the stewards shouldn't have any motorsport-related side hustles including media punditry.
Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo?

Considering how blatantly biased some of them have been, eg Jonny Herbert, this is a good thing.

Yeah, and Balestre, Mosely and MBS weren't/aren't in the least bit biased...

[aMessageToCharlie]

Why no former F1 drivers?
I agree that the stewards shouldn't have any motorsport-related side hustles including media punditry.
Why retire so young? What's wrong with a 55yo or a 60yo?

Considering how blatantly biased some of them have been, eg Jonny Herbert, this is a good thing.

Yeah, and Balestre, Mosely and MBS weren't/aren't in the least bit biased...

So are you saying that reducing bias is bad because there's bias elsewhere? That's a strange take...

Or did you just feel triggered to add some sarcastic remark as a way to support your favorite driver?


I would welcome more independent/unbiased stewarding, but realistically it would be a very hard and slow process to make this a proper career path for people to commit to from an early age instead of pursuing opportunities with race teams and motorsport companies.

Probably a decade or so of gardening leave away from a team or manufacturer as a requirement would be a good start.