# From The Stewards

### To All Teams, All Officials

Document 10

## Date 11 October 2019

Time 14:20 2019 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 10 - 13 October 2019 The Stewards Title Offence - Haas (Mr Guenther Steiner) Description Offence - Haas (Mr Guenther Steiner)

Enclosed JPN DOC 10 - Offence - Haas.pdf

## Gerd Ennser Dennis Dean

## Tom Kristensen Yasuhiro Yodono

## 2019 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

## 10 – 13 October 2019

From The Stewards Document 10

To Haas F1 Team Date 11 October 2019

Time 14:20

The Stewards, having received a report from the Stewards of the 2019 Russian Grand Prix, summoned (document 6) and heard from Mr Guenther Steiner, have considered the following matter and determine the following:

Team Principal Mr Guenther Steiner

Competitor Haas F1 Team

Time 15:49, 29 September 2019

Session Race – 2019 Russian Grand Prix

Fact Team radio communications

Offence Breach of Articles 12.1.1.c) and f) of the FIA International Sporting Code.

Decision Fine of €7,500

Reason During the Russian Grand Prix on September 29, 2019, counting towards the FIA Formula One World Championship, the panel of Stewards imposed a 5-second-time penalty to one of the drivers of the Haas F1 Team. The Team Principal of the Haas F1 Team, holder of a FIA Super License, after the race was over, took the opportunity to make comments on this decision during a radio message to the relevant driver.

In that message he said: "… if we didn't have a stupid idiotic Steward we would be eighth … You know who is the Steward. You know him. It is always the same. He just does not get any more intelligent…". This message over the team radio was broadcast to the public and has since been carried by a number of media outlets in both print and audio form.

The Stewards of the Russian Grand Prix referred the matter to the Stewards of the Japanese Grand Prix as is provided for in Article 11.9.3 t) of the International Sporting Code. Their authority was delegated both because certain members of the Haas F1 team had already departed the circuit and because there was a potential conflict with at least one of the members of the Steward panel in Russia.

On October 11, 2019, the Stewards conducted a hearing with Mr. Steiner. He confirmed that his comment was related only to a single Steward of the Russian Grand Prix panel. He didn't intend to single out other Stewards of that panel. Therefore, he has no objection to the present panel hearing this case, even though the Chairman was also the Chairman at the Russian

Gerd Ennser Dennis Dean Tom Kristensen Yasuhiro Yodono The Stewards happened in the heat of the moment after a hotly contested race by his drivers. In retrospect, he regretted his choice of words used at the time. He did not intend for his words to reflect unfavourably on the FIA officials

of the event and the championship. Nevertheless, the affected radio communication as transmitted at the time is an insult to the Stewards of the event and calls into question both the skills and the integrity of those Stewards. Such statements harm the reputation of motorsport in general, the FIA in particular, and call into question the professionalism of the officials of the FIA. While any factual criticism of Steward panel decisions is always welcomed in private discussions with that panel, public personal attacks against individual officials are totally inappropriate and will not be accepted. The wording used by Mr. Steiner has caused moral injury to FIA officials, was prejudicial to the interests of motorsport and therefore shall be deemed to be a breach of the rules as defined in Articles 12 1.1.c and 12.1.1.f of the International Sporting Code. As a person holding a FIA Super License, Mr. Steiner is subject to penalisation by a fine according to Articles 12.1.4, 12.2.1, and

12.4.1 of the International Sporting Code. Since no penalties have been imposed on Mr. Steiner for similar behaviour in the past, a fine of the amount imposed is considered appropriate. However, in the event of future violations, it may become necessary to consider whether a team should be penalized, along with any individual

involved, with harsher sanctions. Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Article 9.1.1 of the FIA Judicial and

**Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.**