Drivers ask for permanent stewards

The request is not a new one but has always been resisted by the FIA. But now, with the governing body empowered to move drivers back on the grid at a subsequent race for any transgression, drivers are pleading for more consistency.

"We really need to be sure that the guy has done something before he gets moved back," said Rubens Barrichello. "Otherwise it's not fair. For the show it might be a good thing to have a competitive car move 10 places back - you might see some overtaking - but if you're talking about Monte Carlo, for example, it would be impossible to pass and really mess up your race. We should ask the FIA to bring the same guys to all the races - guys who know us and the business, so we have a bit of stability."

Ralf Schumacher backed him up: "We should have permanent stewards, definitely, of whom one or two have been race drivers. Malaysia in my opinion was definitely a wrong move (by the FIA) and if that happens to you, you are going to be caught out twice, maybe. You have a little accident and you compromise your race and then at the next one you are 10 places back."