How the F1 paddock felt about Johnny Herbert’s ‘horrible’ Max Verstappen comments before FIA axe

Johnny Herbert will no longer be part of the FIA stewarding team for the 2025 Formula 1 season, the sport’s governing body has announced. It comes after a controversial year for the retired racing driver.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, the FIA announced ‘with regret’ that Herbert wouldn’t continue as a steward. They admitted that his duties were ‘incompatible’ with his work as a ‘media pundit’.

Herbert left UK rights-holders Sky Sports at the end of 2022. However, he has continued to share his opinions through interviews with online outlets instead.

The Englishman started more than 150 races in an F1 career that lasted from 1989 until 2000. A former teammate of Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher, he won three Grands Prix and stood on the podium seven times.

In his capacity as a steward, Herbert appeared to have a fractious relationship with world champion Max Verstappen. Most notably, he criticised the Dutchman’s ‘horrible mindset’ after his clashes with Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix last October.

Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for the incidents, which both occurred in a matter of corners. At the following race in Brazil, he claimed he had the ‘wrong passport’ for the paddock, implicitly alleging that there was a bias towards British drivers.

Johnny Herbert stunned paddock insiders with his criticism of Max Verstappen

A report from De Telegraaf details the internal reaction to Herbert’s comments. It’s unusual for an active steward, effectively an F1 referee, to publicly share strong opinions on current drivers.

That may be why there were ‘many raised eyebrows in the paddock’. Even outside Red Bull, some teams may not have been happy with Herbert’s off-track activities.

There is, of course, no evidence that the 60-year-old treated Verstappen unfairly. But equally, Herbert was generating unnecessary headaches for the FIA.

F1 drivers met at the Qatar Grand Prix to discuss potential changes to the sport’s racing rules. Verstappen’s conduct against Norris in the United States and Mexico ignited a fierce and expansive debate.

Damon Hill stuck up for Johnny Herbert amid Max Verstappen bias claims

Verstappen called Herbert’s comments ‘abnormal’, but he didn’t publicly call for him to step down. F1 is set to maintain a rotating panel of officials despite some calls for a permanent team.

At the Qatar GP, Verstappen met with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. That wasn’t enough to stop a fresh clampdown on driver conduct.

The Red Bull superstar is known as one of the most outspoken drivers on the grid. But Damon Hill wasn’t happy with his ‘wrong passport’ remarks.

Hill stuck up for Herbert, his old colleague, on social media. He pointed out that ‘JH has the right to an opinion – more than most actually’.