Montreal, June 14, 2025 – The FIA has suspended former Formula 1 driver and senior steward Derek Warwick from officiating at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix following unauthorised comments regarding Max Verstappen’s penalty at the Spanish GP.
Warwick, a seasoned F1 steward and ex-president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, will be replaced by Brazil’s Enrique Bernoldi, who will oversee proceedings remotely from the FIA’s Geneva operations centre.
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In a statement, the FIA confirmed: “After discussions, Derek acknowledges his remarks were inappropriate for his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. He will return to his duties at the Austrian Grand Prix.”
Controversial Remarks on Verstappen Penalty
Warwick’s suspension stems from an interview last week where he defended the FIA’s decision to penalize Verstappen for his clash with George Russell in Barcelona. Speaking to a betting platform, Warwick stated:
“Should he have done what he did in Turn Five with George Russell? Absolutely not. Did he get a penalty? Yes. It was absolutely wrong, and the FIA was right to penalize him.”
His public endorsement of the penalty was deemed a breach of the neutrality expected from stewards during race weekends.
Growing Scrutiny on FIA Stewards
This marks the second time in recent months that a steward has faced disciplinary action. Earlier this year, Johnny Herbert was removed from the FIA panel due to conflicts between his media punditry and officiating duties.
The incident adds to ongoing scrutiny of the FIA’s governance under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, with critics accusing the body of reducing transparency and tightening central control.
While the FIA maintains that stewards operate independently, Warwick’s comments were seen as crossing a line, prompting swift action to uphold the integrity of race officiating.
Warwick, an F1 veteran with 146 Grand Prix starts, is set to return for the Austrian GP later this month.
