FIA releases Johnny Herbert from the position of F1 driver steward amid conflict of interest with media punditry

FIA has released former F1 driver Johnny Herbert from the role of driver steward amid a conflict of interest with media punditry. The former driver has fought off a lot of backlash in the last year or so, and it was a result of Herbert being both a steward during a race weekend and a media pundit.

The 2024 F1 season saw Herbert penalize Max Verstappen twice in the race in Mexico, and it had led to Jos Verstappen indirectly questioning if the stewards had a conflict of interest. He has given multiple interviews to different publications and is partnered with a gambling website as well.

When his quotes surfaced in the media where Herbert acknowledged he was the one who penalized Verstappen in Mexico and explained why he did, there was a lot of social media backlash. In a statement released by the FIA, Herbert's punditry seems to be the bone of contention over why the Brit has been released.

The statement specifically mentions the conflict of interest with Johnny Herbert's punditry as one of the reasons why he was let go. It read:

"It is with regret that we announce today that Johnny Herbert will not longer fulfill the position of F1 driver steward for the FIA. Johnny is widely respected and brought invaluable experience and experience 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 for his future endeavours."

Herbert's recent interview with a gambling website where he shared his preferences on who he'd like to see win also led to many F1 fans questioning whether an FIA steward should be giving these interviews.

---

Herbert's comments about Lewis Hamilton winning the F1 title being the perfect scenario

In a recent interview, Johnny Herbert had stated that Lewis Hamilton becoming the F1 champion in 2025 is going to be the perfect scenario. The former British racer had further added that McLaren was the team that had earned it over the last couple of years. He said:

"Yes, I think Lewis Hamilton winning the championship this year would be the perfect scenario. But I tell you what, the one I think who has earned it over the last couple of years is McLaren. With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, it’s going to be a tough one for both of those two drivers up against each other."

"It’d be lovely to see McLaren come out strong at the beginning, but then carry that the whole way through with this momentum that they’ve been able to generate over the last couple of years."

These comments just added fuel to the fire as someone who already has a preference cannot adjudicate a race. Herbert has been a part of the F1 media for some time now. He was a key member of Sky Sports for 11 years before being released in 2022.