Guenther Steiner hauled before F1 stewards over "laymen" criticism

Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has been summoned by the FIA Stewards over his comments that Formula 1 is governed by “laymen” and calling for a permanent stewarding body.

Guenther Steiner in Barcelona on Thursday. (LAT Images / Haas F1 Team)

A release from the stewards summoned Steiner to appear at 2.30pm local time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over his comments.

“F1 is one of the biggest sports in the world, and we still have laymen deciding on the fate of people which invest millions into their careers,” said Steiner in a press conference on Thursday, per The Race.

“I don’t want to blame any particular person on this, but if you’re not all there all the time, it’s just like a job every… it’s not even a job. In a job you can get sacked! Because you get paid, and if you do a bad job, you get sacked.”

Steiner is accused of a breach of articles 12.2.1.c, 12.2.1.f and 12.2.1.k of the FIA International Sporting Code.

Those articles relate to:

• Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any Competition or to the interests of motor sport generally,

• Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA, and

• Any Misconduct towards, but not limited to

  • licence-holders,

  • officials,

  • officers or member of the staff of the FIA,

  • members of the staff of the Organiser or promoter,

  • members of the staff of the Competitors,

  • suppliers of products or services to (or contractors or subcontractors to) any of the parties listed above;

  • doping control officials or any other person involved in a doping control carried out in accordance with Appendix A.

Watch every session of the Formula One World Championship on Kayo Sports - Get your free trial now!