Former Formula 1 driver and senior FIA steward Derek Warwick has been suspended from officiating at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix due to unauthorised media comments made about Max Verstappen’s recent penalty in Spain.
The governing body announced on Friday that Warwick would be replaced by Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, who will officiate remotely from the FIA’s operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the Montreal event.
“After discussion, Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised,” the FIA said in a statement. “Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.”
FIA statement: “Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.” He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will work from the Remote Operations Centre #F1 #CanadianGP
— Chris Medland (@chrismedlandf1.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T00:02:03.692Z
Warwick, who competed in Formula 1 from 1981 to 1992 and is a former president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, is one of the most experienced driver stewards in the sport. Each Formula 1 race includes at least one former driver among the four-person stewarding panel.
His suspension follows public remarks made last week in which he backed the decision to penalise Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for an incident involving Mercedes’ George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Speaking to a gambling website, Warwick said: “Should he have done what he did, in Turn Five with George Russell? Absolutely not. Did he get a penalty for that? Yes. It is absolutely wrong and the FIA was right to give him a penalty.”
Warwick becomes the second steward in recent months to face disciplinary action.
In January, fellow former driver Johnny Herbert was removed from the FIA’s stewarding panel, with the body citing a conflict between his role as a media pundit and FIA duties.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the FIA’s governance under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has faced criticism for implementing changes that some argue reduce transparency and increase centralised control.
While the FIA maintains that stewards are independent and does not typically comment on their decisions, Warwick’s remarks were seen as breaching the neutrality expected of officials during ongoing race weekends.
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