Lewis Hamilton has suggested friendships between some Formula 1 drivers and FIA stewards could have led to bias in the latter’s decisions.
The seven-time world champion is returning to the public spotlight having gone silent following his loss to Max Verstappen in the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
That defeat is largely blamed on now-former F1 race director Michael Masi’s questionable handling of a late Safety Car.
This has led to an overhaul in how the FIA officiates a race weekend with a new remote race control set up to assist the race director, similar to the VAR system in football, and greater limits on communication between team bosses and the race director.
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A final report into the events of Abu Dhabi is expected on the week of the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Hamilton hoping the findings are released to the public.
“I’ve not seen it, I didn’t think it was out yet,” he said. “But I think I’m excited to see the results from that report.
“I think hopefully everyone will get to see it and to have perhaps a better understanding of everything.
“I think ultimately, like everything, it’s down to understanding where we’ve been, so we can move forwards and in a positive light.”
The most symbolic change though is the ousting of Masi as race director, with WEC’s Eduardo Freitas and DTM’s Niels Wittich set to alternate in the role in 2022.
And Hamilton didn’t hold back in suggesting the FIA needed to deal with steward/driver relationships off the track potentially interfering with decision-making on it.
“We need to make sure we get non-biased stewards,” he told the media in Barcelona on Wednesday.
“Racing drivers, some are very, very good friends with certain individuals. Some travel with certain individuals and tend to take more of a keen liking to some of them.
“I just think [we need] people who have no bias and are super central when it comes to making decisions.”
Hamilton also took the opportunity to call for greater gender equality, adding: “I want to see more women in the stewards’ room.
“I think we don’t have any, I think maybe last year [there] was one or two, I think it would be awesome for them to have a male and female as the two race directors.
“I think that’s a great way of promoting diversity too.”