Haas team boss Guenther Steiner believes Formula 1's stewards adopt a double standard when it comes to judging the sport's top drivers and those racing in the midfield.
Steiner explained his view by stating the case of Max Verstappen in Hungary, when the Red Bull driver clearly hindered Haas' Romain Grosjean's effort in qualifying in the wet, yet was given mitigating circumstances by the stewards.
Haas' drivers have often been the recipients of penalties in the past, and deservedly so, but Steiner still feels the big names are given extra leniency.
"Sometimes we don’t help ourselves to put ourselves in this position -- if you didn’t need to go there you wouldn’t get the penalty," admits the Italian team manager.
"But if there is a decision to be taken, I still think that who you are counts for what the outcome is. It should all be without a name."
Steiner can't factually prove the system is biased, but he has his doubts.
"It could be. I have no evidence, so I cannot prove it, but it could be."
Surprisingly, FIA race director Charlie Whiting didn't reject Steiner's claim, conceding that a sub-conscious effect may perhaps contribute to a steward's decision.
"If a driver’s got nine points on his license, that shouldn’t influence the stewards’ decision," he said.
"If they think they shouldn’t give him three because he’ll have to take a race off, that shouldn’t come into it, but whether it plays a sub-conscious part, I don’t know."
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