Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has hit back at the FIA and anyone who accused him of bias. The Brit was fired earlier this year as a steward because he combined his work with a role as an analyst for various media outlets. Despite many accusations of bias and a preference for British drivers, Herbert pleads innocence. He points to his Dutch colleagues, who, in turn, are allowed to have a favourite.
Johnny Herbert was fired as an FIA steward a month ago, after the organization concluded that his duties as a steward and those of a media presenter were ‘incompatible’. Social pressure likely played a significant role in the decision. Herbert came under fire last year after he, in his role as a steward, imposed two ten-second time penalties on Max Verstappen following a clash with Lando Norris during the Mexican Grand Prix. Jos Verstappen was one of the first to call on the FIA to investigate potential conflicts of interest.
In a recent interview with CasinoApps.com, Johnny Herbert stated that ‘certain people’ had spoken to the FIA about his dismissal. “It didn’t initially come from the FIA,” he explained. “It had everything to do with conversations that were held with the FIA; that ultimately changed their stance. Everything I did last year was discussed and accepted in advance. Two days before I was eventually fired over the phone, I was told that everything was set for 2025. But that turned out not to be the case.”
‘Dutch people are allowed to insult the British?’
“I understand how everything came about,” he continued. “I don’t want to point fingers, but as I said, there were certain people who actually spoke with the chairman, and that’s why I was ultimately dismissed.” Herbert further denied that he had ever been biased in his decisions as a steward. “The Max Verstappen family keeps suggesting that,” he said. “I read that and then wonder: ‘So, I can’t support a British driver because I’m British?’ It’s ridiculous. If you’re Dutch, you can insult the British a bit and say that the British lack real morality as racing fans. It has to go both ways, doesn’t it?”
Finally, Johnny Herbert also commented on the recent unrest within the FIA. Chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem reportedly barred several key figures from a meeting because they refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. “The FIA is more controlling than before and is now taking a hard-line approach,” he concluded. “There seems to be a stronger controlling factor at play.”
