FORMER F1 driver Derek Warwick is at the centre of a social media storm involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Warwick, who is now an FIA steward, is being targeted by fans upset after Hamilton was penalised at the Belgian GP.
Derek Warwick called Max Verstappen the “next great white hope”
Max Verstappen is a two-time world champion
Hamilton was hit with a five-second time penalty for making contact with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez during the sprint race.
The Brit felt the penalty was harsh while 2009 world champion Jenson Button said: “Lewis penalty is totally wrong”.
Fans have been quick to point out that Warwick is one of the F1 stewards in Belgium and was also an official in 2021 Abu Dhabi GP where Verstappen controversially won the F1 title at the expense of Hamilton on the final lap.
He is also heard on a BBC radio interview calling Verstappen “the next great white hope”, a statement he clarified on Twitter in December, 2021.
He wrote: “I’ve seen many tweets recently quoting that I said: ‘Max Verstappen is the next great white hope’.
“I might have said he’s the next great thing, but whether he white, black, green or yellow makes no difference to me. Just greatness.”
FIA rules state that there are four stewards at each race, and these are rotated throughout the season, so no steward can have complete control on the decision making.
The FIA also have a strict Code of Ethics, which employees adhere to.
F1‘s governing body have also joined forces with the MotoGP counterparts [FIM] to sign a charter for collaboration to combat online abuse.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president said: “The signing of the Charter by FIM is part of our mission to build a global coalition to stop hate speech in sport.
“We are grateful for the support of Jorge Viegas and his team as we take steps to drive out online abuse which has become a blight on all sport.
“Sustained toxicity has reached deplorable levels and we must take collaborative action. Only through collaborative action, can we bring about behavioural and regulatory change.”
