F1 now ‘more dangerous’ after Verstappen, Hamilton 2021 title fight

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen took Formula 1 racing to a “more dangerous” level swith their antics in 2021, Vitantonio Liuzzi saying F1’s stewards are having to clamp down on that.

Liuzzi is one of four former Formula 1 drivers on the stewards’ panel and the Italian rotates with the other three, including Johnny Herbert, with each attending six Grands Prix in a 24-race season.

Max Verstappen v Lewis Hamilton ‘brought F1 to a more dangerous’ level

Last season as Lando Norris took on Max Verstappen for the World title, the stewards were involved in several controversial calls that left drivers and team bosses fuming.

Both McLaren and Red Bull questioned the stewards at the Red Bull Ring where Verstappen was eventually penalised for causing a collision with Norris while in Austin it was McLaren who questioned Norris’ penalty with Red Bull and Verstappen doing the same a week later in Mexico.

Those were the standout situations in a season littered in parts with penalties, but they are penalties that Liuzzi, at least when he was involved, felt were deserved as one of the stewards’ jobs is to ensure the drivers race fair and race safe.

That’s a line that he feels was crossed in 2021 when Verstappen and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel for the Drivers’ title, their clashes resulting in two serious accidents at Silverstone and later Monza.

“I want to let them race or let them race harder, let them race for the show,” Liuzzi told the Inside Line podcast, “but we have to let them race in a safe way, so we can mix the two things.

“This is our let’s say, fine line when we need to understand where this can end up too much.

“I believe that in 2021 you know, Hamilton and Verstappen raised up the level of competition, because it was an amazing season, maybe one of the most beautiful of the last 20 years. But obviously they brought it to a more dangerous…

“In Monza it could have end up in a more dangerous situation, the year after Budapest was quite dangerous. We don’t want to, let’s say, be linked on luck. We want to be super safe for the good of the sport and of the drivers that are in the car.

“And I think we are working super well. We have a great show. We just want that is all more clear for the drivers for how they can handle the competition.”

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Unlike his fellow steward Herbert, who last courted controversy through his very public criticism of Verstappen, Liuzzi has largely kept his own council away the paddock while maintaining friendships with “everybody” inside it.

He believes the drivers and teams know that from his side he’ll always be neutral.

“I think I’m supporting the driver to have a clarification or more of a fair analysis and fair talk, fair conversation,” he said. “I like to talk and explain why we end up to decision.

“I have to say that in my last five years where I’ve been taking a lot of really tough decisions, everybody and all the drivers understood.

“Obviously, many times at the beginning on the media, you hear a lot of fights between drivers and decisions and so there are a few words. But at the end, when we sit down and we explain how we ended up with the decision, I have to say that I always found in front of me really good, smart people.

“They trust in what they do. They know that I love the sport, I love Formula 1, I love the paddock, and I’m friends with everybody. They know that I will be always neutral, and try to do this in a really good way, in the correct way.

“And I think that is a really important position to have an ex-driver internally in the stewards commission, and is really good in the conversation with the driver to make this understanding work better.”

However, the F1 2024 season once again saw calls for permanent stewards with Liuzzi revealing that something “can be changing” in the near future.

“In this I cannot really say much. Obviously, there is a lot of discussion about this position. You know, obviously, I think that the position can be changing in the future,” he revealed. “Maybe it will change a little bit, and I’m sure that the President is talking closely with the team, because we all want that teams move forward in a better way.

“You know, at the end, you see a lot, you hear a lot of stories. FIA and F1 discussing drivers, but many times is done to make things bigger than they are.

“I think Formula 1 and FIA, they are working really well together. And I think the business is growing in both ways. Formula 1 now is getting bigger and bigger, and we see great racing every time, great competitions.

“So I’m sure that the President of the FIA is talking with F1 to try to find the best best solution for all of us. Obviously, we prefer that it will be a position a little bit different, a little bit review of the position, but whatever is decided it will be the good for both of us – F1 and the FIA.”

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