Guenther Steiner has criticised the Miami Grand Prix stewards, claiming that a time limit should be introduced for post-race penalties.
Several incidents were under investigation by the stewards following the race at the Hard Rock Stadium. These included Max Verstappen for allegedly crossing the white line at the pit exit, Max Verstappen and George Russell for causing a collision, Charles Leclerc and Russell for causing a collision with their contact on the final lap, Leclerc for leaving the track multiple times on the last lap and gaining an advantage, and Leclerc for driving his car in an unsafe condition.
It wasn’t until approximately two and a half hours after the chequered flag that the verdicts began to come through. While the majority of the drivers were left unscathed, Leclerc was handed a 20-second penalty which dropped him to eighth.
“The stewards because I was sitting in the airplane already going back home when I heard that there was still penalties going around,” Steiner explained during The Red Flags Podcast. “So I'm just thinking, we need to decide it after the race, but I think there needs to be a time limit. If you don't know, guess what? Don't give a penalty.
“What are they doing during the race? Because I think the stewards are not there to watch the race. They're there to take decisions on things which went wrong.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
"So I think they should shut the race down and tell the stewards, analyse this, process this scene, what happened here, work on it, make a decision and move on, not watch. But I mean for them watching the race, I don't think that should be part of their job.”
He added, “Crossing a white line, what you want to litigate? Either it is on or off. You have got cameras there, and then the team still has got the chance to protest.
"But in the end, you're either going over a white line or not. It's not like it's an incident like with Gasly and Lawson. It's either over or not. Before, after, in three days, it will be the same picture.”
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