Steiner under fire from FIA for Sochi radio rant at stewards

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Haas boss Guenther Steiner may come under scrutiny from the FIA for his scathing objection to the Russian Grand Prix stewards' call and penalty against Kevin Magnussen in Sochi.

Magnussen was handed a 5-second time penalty in Sunday's race after venturing off track at Turn 2 while fighting Sergio Perez and failing to pass to the left of the bollards placed in the corner's run-off area.

During Magnussen's cool down lap, Steiner - whose colorful language is an integral part of the Haas boss's personality - lashed out on the radio at the stewards' decision which had dropped the Dane from eighth to ninth in the race's final results, insisting the call was made by "a stupid idiotic steward".

Magnussen baffled by 'harsh' penalty and 'idiotic' steward

Magnussen was also unimpressed with the officials' sanction, calling it "bullshit" and underscoring the fact that his forced off-track excursion had already lost him a big amount of time.

The governing body's International Sporting Code includes a code of conduct outlining the rules and responsibilities of participants which include not using words that could bring the sport into disrepute.

According to Motorsport.com, the FIA is now pondering whether to take the matter regarding Steiner's criticism further, or perhaps deal with the incident in an informal way.

"The FIA has got its various judicial processes," FIA race director Michael Masi told Motorsport.com.

"I've heard about the comments that were made on the radio. I haven't seen them directly so I'm not going to comment on what those are.

"At the end of the day we're all here to do a job, be it officials, the teams, everyone. There has to be a level of mutual respect.

"If something's been said that's inappropriate, there's those that are in charge of the judicial elements away from the event that can look at it."

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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.