Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Red Bull's Max Verstappen goes off on to the grass during the Mexico City Grand Prix, after ...
Red Bull's Max Verstappen goes off on to the grass during the Mexico City Grand Prix, after battling with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen was not penalised but Hamilton later was after his own excursion
Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 needs to address what he calls the lack of "transparency and accountability" of race stewards.
The seven-time champion's comments refer to the last race in Mexico City, where Hamilton was among a number of drivers who felt stewards made errors.
This particularly referred to the first corner after the start, where some drivers cut the chicane and were not then asked to surrender the positions gained or penalised.
Hamilton lost a place to Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in that incident, and was later penalised himself for not giving up an advantage he gained when leaving the track in a battle with Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
He eventually finished eighth, with Leclerc in second and Verstappen third.
"There isn't any clarity and I think that's probably part of the bigger issue. Transparency and accountability. And also the secrecy that the decisions are made in," Hamilton said.
He added: "It's something that definitely needs to be tackled. But that's probably something that needs to be done in the background, I would imagine."
Hamilton made an oblique reference to the 2021 championship decider in Abu Dhabi, where he controversially lost out on the title to Verstappen as a result of former race director Michael Masi failing to apply the rules correctly during a late-race safety car period.
At the time, race stewards declined to overturn Masi's decisions. The Australian was later fired by governing body the FIA, before a report into the incident concluded that Masi's decisions were the result of "human error".
Speaking before this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton said: "I don't know if they're aware of the weight of their decisions. They ultimately steer careers. Can decide results of championships, as you've seen in the past. Some work needs to be done there, I'm sure."
The FIA does not comment on stewards' decisions as they are meant to operate independently from the governing body.
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