Formula One now faces a call for an “augmented stewarding” system to cut through on‑track incidents before the chequered flag, according to former Ferrari and Williams engineer Rob Smedley.
Why the need for speed?
Smedley explained that FIA stewards are overwhelmed by live race traffic. “You can’t pause the race and hand every clash over to the stewards,” he said, noting that the pace of competition leaves no room for real‑time adjudication.
Augmented stewards in theory
He proposes a dedicated subsection that could review collisions almost instantaneously, while the main steward panel handles only the most complex post‑race cases. “After the race we still investigate after the race, but it should only be for truly intricate situations,” Smedley added.
Correcting oversights on the fly
“There should be a chance to right the wrong that could have happened if a breach went unnoticed,” he said, citing procedural lapses such as excessive plank wear or incorrect rear‑wing height that often surface during race checks.
Technicalities that need measuring
“It is a technical sport, and you can only arbitrate on the technicalities after the race because you have to measure,” Smedley explained, listing possible infractions: slot‑gap misalignments, underweight cars, or over‑hightened wings as examples that require post‑race examination.
During a session of the High Performance Racing podcast with broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, Smedley underscored that “Incident will be investigated after the race” notifications often feel obvious yet remain protocol‑driven.
By streamlining real‑time steward decisions, the formula would preserve the race’s flow and reduce the post‑race backlog of minor technical infractions while retaining rigorous oversight where it matters most.
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