Mosley backs F1 stewards revamp

As autosport.com revealed last week, the FIA has restructured the stewards following the retirement of former permanent steward Tony Scott-Andrews. Now, three stewards will be overseen by administrator Alan Donnelly at each race.

Mosley said he hoped that the new structure would avoid some of the problems that occurred last year, when lengthy deliberations, like in China discussing Lewis Hamilton's driving behind the safety car in Fuji or the 'cool fuel' issue in Brazil, drew criticism.

"Alan's job will be to create an interface between the stewards and race control, and also to try and create some sort of momentum so we get decisions quickly," said Mosley. "There is no excuse for taking as long as it has."

Mosley believes Donnelly's experience of working with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on sports governance makes him perfect for the new role - and he dismisses any suggestion he will be there to influence the stewards' decisions.

"He is an expert of sport governance and he is independent," said Mosley. "I think he will do a good job, and him being non-voting and the voting people being from motorsport seemed to fit.

"Unless we got someone from the IOC, he is as good as they come. He will keep the pressure on to get the things done quickly, but there is no way he will tell someone who is the head of the sport in a country, or president of the club, on how they could decide any more than I could."

The numerous stewards' investigations last year left Lewis Hamilton frustrated with the sport's politics, especially in China, where he suggested that he did not want to be part of Formula One if it carried on in a similar vein in the future.

When asked whether or not the restructure was a response to this, Mosley said: "I don't think these things are politics. I think they (the stewards) are enforcing the rules. Our people went about it the wrong way in Brazil so it created a furore, but it is not really politics.

"If there is a controversy about whether a penalty should have been given in a football match, then that is not really political. It is a sporting debate.

"What Lewis and everyone else have to realise is that it is a complex sport and we do our best. But when you think the ball, in our case, changes between events, is different in each team, and there are 150 modifications to it between races.

"We are trying to keep on top of this and we are trying to make sure that no one does anything unfair. Yet they are spending mega bucks on research and development - McLaren have 140 engineers trying to improve the car constantly. It is complex.

"My advice to Lewis would be to put the money in the bank and don't worry too much about it. If he keeps driving quick he will be alright."