FIA summons Steiner following criticism of Monaco GP stewards

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Guenther Steiner's public criticism of the FIA officials after last weekend's Monaco GP has earned the Haas boss a trip to the stewards' office.

F1's governing body has taken a dim view on Steiner's comments to the media ahead of this weekend's Spanish GP.

The Haas team boss called into question the five-second penalty handed to Nico Hulkenberg for causing a collision with Williams' Logan Sargeant on the opening lap of the race.

But Steiner alleged that there was no visible physical contact between the two cars as they entered Mirabeau side-by-side.

"I'm told that a collision is touching, but I'm still trying to find out," said the Italian. "I'm still trying to get it explained because I think it was completely wrong.

"I was told in the video that you can see a collision, I looked at numerous pictures and I cannot see a collision."

Read also: Steiner pushes for 'professional stewards' after unjust Monaco call

Steiner then suggested that it was time for Formula 1 to rely on full-time "professional stewards" in order to improve the consistency of the stewards' calls.

"Every professional sport has got professionals being referees and stuff like this," he said.

"F1 is one of the biggest sports in the world, and we still have laymen deciding on the fate of people who invest millions in their careers. And it's always a discussion because there's no consistency.

"I think we need to step it up. I think it's now time. I think we're discussing this for years and years and we always go back to this."

Steiner's comments did not go down well with the FIA which has summoned the Haas boss to the Spanish GP stewards in Barcelona.

The FIA has pointed to a series of potential offenses that may be levied upon Steiner.

They include "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any Competition or to the interests of motor sport generally; "any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values defended by the FIA", and various "acts of misconduct".

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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.