Johnny Herbert will no longer serve as an F1 driver steward from the 2025 season, the FIA has announced.
F1’s governing body said the two parties had “mutually agreed” that the role Herbert – who won three Grand Prix during a 160-race career between 1989 and 2000 – fulfilled when serving as a steward at F1 events was “incompatible” with his work in the media.
“It is with regret that we announce today that Johnny Herbert will no longer fulfil the position of F1 driver steward for the FIA,” read the statement.
“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, with his views on Max Verstappen’s controversial driving at last October’s Mexico City featuring in a column for a betting website after that race.
Herbert 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.
Both Verstappen and his father Jos subsequently hit back at Herbert’s critical opinions, with the latter using a subsequent column to defend his right to express his views in the media and state that his opinions were separate from his work in a professional capacity as a former driver for the FIA.
F1’s rotating four-person stewards panel at grands prix has included one former driver since 2010. Herbert last appeared at November’s Sao Paulo GP.
Source : Sky Sports
