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Former GP Driver Stewards Scheme Kept by the FIA for 2011

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) did get some things wrong in 2010, as far as the regulation for the Formula One championship go, but naming a former Grand Prix driver in the stewards panel of each race was certainly not one of them.

This move from the FIA was aimed at ensuring a more racing-orientated decision-making process within the stewarding body, and it worked out perfectly last season. The majority of the drivers praised the move, as it led to some adrenaline-pumping duels on and off the track (by off the track we mean in the pit lane).

Consequently, it was only natural for the FIA to keep the existing scheme alive for the second year running, in 2011. Once again, joining the three officiating stewards of an F1 race will be a former GP driver.

Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Alain Prost, Emanuele Pirro, Mika Salo and other important names of past motor racing have been part of the steward panel in 2010 at least one time. However, as compared to the recently ended campaign, some tweaks have been made by the FIA in this section also.

If in 2010, the FIA stewards could only hand grid penalties, drive-through or 10-second penalties at the end of the race for certain maneuvers performed by the F1 racers, next year they will also get the power to exclude a driver from the overall classification or even suspend him from a future race, if they think this should be the case.

Once again, the gravity of a driver's actions will be judged by the FIA stewards, although it's not yet clear whether the former will be allowed to challenge the ruling at the FIA's International Court of Appeal (ICA).
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