FIA says the role of Johnny Herbert as a F1 pundit and being a steward isn’t compatible which is why he will no longer serve as a steward.
Having been a F1 pundit on Sky Sports for long, Herbert dovetailed his work being a FIA steward for several seasons. Off-late his decisions didn’t serve well, especially with the media bytes he used to give in the form of opinions on certain decisions/drivers.
The large trouble was the biasness allegations put on him with regards to the decisions against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during the course of the 2024 F1 season. Herbert came under fire several times, but the Brit defended himself via interviews.
He stood his ground on the decisions he took as a FIA steward. But his time his up now as a steward after the governing body announced his departure on Wednesday morning. They see his role as a media pundit isn’t compatible with his role as a steward.
While it is unclear if this happened due to his recent back and forth with the Verstappens, but him supplying quotes to website/portal promoting gambling, did damage his situation. They decided mutually to part ways, even though a steward role is largely voluntary.
The announcement comes as a surprise considering that the FIA don’t really put such things out in the public, especially relating to the stewards. “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 a 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.”
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