"Good Riddance. We don't need any biased executive in FIA": Fans react to Johnny Herbert's release from F1 steward panel

FIA has released Johnny Herbert from the steward panel over conflict of interest charges. In a statement, F1's governing body stated that Herbert's duties as steward and media pundit were incompatible. Meanwhile, fans reacted to the news and made harsh comments.

Herbert faced a lot of criticism in the 2024 F1 season after he penalized Max Verstappen twice in the Mexican Grand Prix. He was quite vocal about Verstappen's aggressive driving as a media analyst, raising issues of conflict of interest.

Moreover, Max's father, Jos Verstappen, also accused him of deliberately sabotaging his son's races. Meanwhile, after much backlash from the fans and critics, the FIA decided to release Herbert from the steward panel for the 2025 F1 season.

In a statement, F1 said:

"It is with regret that we announce today that Johnny Herbert will no longer fulfill the position of F1 driver steward for the FIA. However, after discussion, it was mutually agreed that his duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible."

However, fans reacted to the news and made some strong comments against Johnny Herbert.

"Guess openly saying who he'd prefer to win wdc was a bit too much even for the FIA," a fan commented.

"Good Riddance. We don't need any biased executive in the FIA," another fan said.

"Regret? Best decision you made," a user commented.

Some fans also accused Herbert of being biased, as they wrote:

"Regret? What regret 😂 most biased steward ever, openly choosing," another fan commented.

"Good. We don’t need British bias," another user said.

"Massive news for Verstappen, leaves a panel of terrorist driving sympathisers," a user also commented.

FIA has received a lot of flak over the past season over its questionable decisions. From penalizing drivers over swearing, to handing a one-place grid penalty to Verstappen, the governing body continues to face the heat.

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Johnny Herbert criticized Max Verstappen's aggressive racing

Max Verstappen [L] with Johnny Herbert [R] (Image Source: Getty)

Former FIA steward Johnny Herbert has openly criticized Max Verstappen's racing style on several occasions. In an interview with Casinoutanspelpaus.io, Herbert commented on the reputation the Dutch driver had gained for his racing style and said:

"I always remember when he did his first season in Formula 1, he got this horrible reputation of driving people off the circuit, being a hard racer. And he was like, ‘Well, hard racing is what it’s all about. You don’t put people in the wall, you push them onto the grass’."

Though Herbert claimed that he has never been biased during his duties as steward, the FIA took the bold decision ahead of the pivotal 2025 F1 season. However, FIA is not out of the woods yet. According to reports, the steward panel is likely to enforce more penalties on drivers criticizing the FIA, which could further harm the FIA's reputation.

This comes after the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) openly criticized the FIA's ban on drivers swearing on radio.