Whiting not keen on permanent stewards for F1

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Despite recent controversy, FIA race director Charlie Whiting doesn't believe Formula 1 is in need of a panel of permanent stewards.

F1's FIA stewards recently came under the spotlight as a result of a controversial call made against Max Verstappen in the US Grand Prix at Austin.

Over the past twelve months, the stewards' rulings have often been criticised, with a lack of consistency as the main point of contention.

Calls for a permanent panel of officials, a system adopted by IndyCar, have been made, notably by Haas' Guenther Steiner.

Inconsistent stewarding? Charlie Whiting begs to differ

"Every time, decisions are being made differently and this sometimes hurts the small teams more," the Austrian team manager told Speed Week.

"In my view, the way out of this is to appoint permanent stewards who really know their business," Steiner added.

The idea has garnered support in F1, but Whiting, while open to dialogue, remains unconvinced of the necessity to change.

"We are discussing this all the time," Whiting said.

"But we believe that the appointment of four permanent stewards for the whole year will only lead to many new questions.

"I do not want to go into details, but at the moment we consider our direction to be more reasonable," the top FIA official added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.