OCTOBER 16, 2007

Stewart fires back at the FIA

Following FIA President Max Mosley's refusal to withdraw his remarks about Sir Jackie Stewart, the Scotsman has hit back at the federation again, saying that he does not understand what the FIA is doing at the moment.

Following FIA President Max Mosley's refusal to withdraw his remarks about Sir Jackie Stewart, the Scotsman has hit back at the federation again, saying that he does not understand what the FIA is doing at the moment.

Stewart says he is worried by the governing body's plans to watch McLaren in Brazil to make sure that the team gives equal treatment to its drivers in the decisive race in the World Championship at Interlagos this weekend.

"It's a dangerous precedent," Stewart told BBC Sport. "The FIA is paid to govern the sport not manage the teams. I don't know what the governing body is about on this. These teams are private enterprises. They pay an entry licence fee of considerable amounts of money for the FIA to govern the sport. It is not a governing body's prerogative to start saying 'You will do this in your team under our direction'. In my view it is an error. It's a big brother type of attitude and I don't think that's the way to go."

Stewart may be a source of irritation to the FIA but as a triple World Champion, a former team owner and the F1 ambassador for RBS, a major F1 sponsor and also the bank to which the Formula One group needs to pay back a massive loan, he does have the right to an opinion.