MONTREAL (Reuters) -Formula One's governing body suspended former racer Derek Warwick as Canadian Grand Prix steward on Friday for unauthorised media comments about current drivers.
The FIA did not specify what the 70-year-old Briton, who raced from 1981 to 1993, had said but media reports said Warwick had been quoted by a betting platform talking about the Spanish Grand Prix.
Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed three penalty points in Spain for a collision on June 1 with Mercedes George Russell, a sanction that left the Dutch driver one point away from a ban.
"Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix," the governing body said in a statement.
"He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will be officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event.
"After discussion Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix."
Warwick is the second steward to be dropped this year for unauthorised comments, with compatriot Johnny Herbert suffering that fate in January because his work as a media pundit was declared incompatible with the role.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by William Mallard)
