F1 icon Johnny Herbert AXED from role he’s held for 15 years just months after Max Verstappen row

JOHNNY HERBERT has been axed from his F1 driver steward role after 15 years of service, the FIA have confirmed.

The FIA said Herbert’s panel job was “incompatible” with his media work after the Englishman clashed with Max Verstappen last year.

A statement from the FIA on Wednesday read: “It is with regret that we announce today that Johnny Herbert will no longer fulfil the position of F1 driver steward.

“Johnny is widely respected and brought invaluable experience and expertise to his role.

“However, after discussion, it was mutually agreed that his duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible.

“We thank him for his service and wish him well in his future endeavours.”

The former driver provided his opinions on F1 in the media via various outlets during the 2024 season.

But Herbert found himself in hot water with Verstappen’s camp for his comments about the Red Bull driver’s performance at the Mexican Grand Prix in October.

He accused the 27-year-old of having a “horrible mindset” and urged him to tone down his aggressive style in a column for a betting website.

The 60-year-old had been on the four-person stewards’ panel who handed Verstappen two 10-second time penalties in Mexico for clashes with title rival Lando Norris.

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Verstappen’s dad Jos openly questioned whether it is a good idea for stewards who apply the rules in races to also have a platform to share such strong opinions in public.

He told Dutch media: “The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Herbert defended his right to express his views publicly and stated his opinions were separate from his professional work.

He said: “Everyone has an opinion. Martin Brundle has an opinion. Why can’t I when I am not at the racetrack?

“The racetrack has been my world for 50 years. If I do not quite agree with what I see on the racetrack I will say so.

“It is not just Max – I will criticise anyone if I feel it is warranted. Is there any bias? No, of course not.”

Clearly, after assessing the situation, the FIA does not agree that the two roles can be performed without a conflict of interest.

Keen to avoid perceptions of bias from their stewards, the governing body has decided to avoid further rows of the same nature.

A new driver steward is now needed for the Melbourne race on March 16, following Herbert’s exit.

Herbert worked as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 while he acted as an FIA steward.

But he dropped from Sky‘s F1 presenting team after 11 years at the end of his contract before the 2023 F1 season.

Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk