Formula 1 drivers met with the FIA and stewards ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix to discuss the driving standards guidelines (DSGs) and penalty system.
The meeting was held at the Lusail International Circuit on Thursday night, and lasted more than an hour according to sources who say the majority of drivers wanted to provide input into the discussions. There were five specific cases of penalties and incidents focused on to gain an understanding of the drivers’ perspectives on each, as the FIA looks to continuously evolve the DSGs to improve decision-making.
“The DSGs are intended to be a living document, have been updated twice since their introduction, and are publicly available to improve transparency and help newer fans better understand stewarding decisions,” an FIA statement read. “The current F1-specific version has been reviewed and agreed with the GPDA.
“The stewards reiterated that the DSGs are guidelines, not regulations. They explain how the rules are interpreted in practice, with the aim of ensuring a level playing field and consistent decision-making. Data from the past three seasons shows that the DSGs have contributed to greater consistency in stewarding decisions, supported by detailed analysis provided by teams.
“After 22 races and five Sprints this season – involving dozens of racing incidents – the discussion focused primarily on a small number of case studies, which formed the basis of most of the debate. These included:
- Piastri–Antonelli (Interlagos): overtaking on the inside
- Sainz–Bearman (Monza): overtaking on the outside
- Sainz–Lawson (Zandvoort): application of the DSGs in long-radius corners
- Norris–Leclerc (COTA): track limits and what should or should not count as a strike
- Verstappen–Leclerc (Mexico City): leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage
The meeting provided significant driver feedback, with the FIA saying the key takeaways from the drivers was for a strong emphasis on respecting yellow flags, a clear preference for hearings to be held after the race when stewards believe not all relevant elements are available, and a shared view that the guidelines cannot cover every scenario, emphasizing the need for an experienced driver steward on each panel.
“The FIA and the Formula 1 stewards would like to thank the drivers and teams for their constructive input,” the FIA added. “The discussion was frank, open and conducted in a very collegial atmosphere, which was greatly appreciated by the stewards. The points raised will inform any future refinements to the DSGs, in consultation with the GPDA and the FIA Drivers’ Commission. No changes will be made for the final two Grands Prix of the 2025 season.”
On Thursday, Carlos Sainz highlighted the level of analysis that he has witnessed on television broadcasts as showing the standard that he feels can be achieved in F1 stewarding.
“I think recently after races I’ve seen some analysis done of quite a lot of the incidents,” Sainz said. “Some of them by Karun Chandhok, some of them by Jolyon Palmer, some of them by Anthony Davidson. And every time I see this analysis that they do and the verdict that they give – from racing drivers that have been recently racing – I think they do a very good analysis and they put the blame correctly most of the time on who actually has the blame or if it’s actually just a racing incident.
“My future ideal is no guidelines and people that are able to judge these sorts of incidents as well as these three people do after the races. Again, this is just my opinion, but I’m quite impressed at the job some of the broadcasters do after a race with this in-depth analysis of each of the incidents and how they apply blame or no blame into certain scenarios.
“I think that’s a level of analysis and a level of ‘stewardness,’ if you want to call it that way, that I think is very high level. Probably doesn’t mean we’ll agree 100% on the cases that these three ex-drivers give, but I think a lot of times, they are very close – 90%, let’s say, correct. If I had to go and see Formula 1 in the future on the stewarding level, this is more or less the level that I would appreciate.”
