Irvine casts doubt on driver judges

While other drivers have called for permanent stewards, including a couple of ex-drivers, Irvine said: "Anyone who sat in on some of the drivers' briefings probably wouldn't be saying that! It can be scary sometimes..."

Irvine is not in favour of the new penalty system to be imposed in 2003, when drivers can be moved back on the grid at subsequent races. "I don't really like that," he shrugged, "It's all a bit Hollywood."

Irvine, of course, was banned for three races following an incident at Interlagos eight years ago, and thinks that consistency of decision-making is more important than the people making them. "I have no understanding of the decisions made at the last two races, Australia or Malaysia," he said.

"They were beyond comprehension. In Australia, Barrichello didn't get fined for going right, going right again, then going sharp left and braking in front of another competitor when there was nobody in front of him . But I got banned for three races in 1994 for swerving left when the guy in front of me (Eric Bernard) braked in the middle of the straight because the guy in front of him (Martin Brundle) blew his engine up, had the flywheel trapped under the car and was totally out of control! The mind boggles...

"The thing that amazes me is, people talk about referees in football and those guys have to make a decision on the spot. Yet we've got video cameras to get it right... There's just no excuse for some of the decisions we've made."