Johnny Herbert has done something remarkable. He has openly admitted that, as an FIA steward, he was biased against Max Verstappen. Not implied it. Not hinted at it. Just come out and said it, apparently without realising how catastrophic that admission actually is.
What He Actually Said
Speaking in a recent interview, Herbert was asked about the fan hostility he has received over the years. His answer was candid to the point of being jaw-dropping.
“They say: ‘You’re biased towards Lewis Hamilton.’ Well, we’re British, and Lewis is British! You’re Dutch, you support Max, and you say we’re biased, but you want us to support Max.” – Johnny Herbert
On the death threats he received from extreme Verstappen supporters, Herbert was equally direct.
“That’s easy! The Dutch fans who resented me for questioning Max Verstappen. They weren’t only Dutch, they came from other countries too. They sent me ‘Death to Herbert’ messages.” – Johnny Herbert
The death threats are obviously indefensible, full stop. But the broader admission buried inside Herbert’s defence is the real story here.
A Steward Who Preferred One Driver Over Another
Herbert compared national sporting loyalty to football: if England played the Netherlands, he would back England. Fine, as a pundit. Completely unacceptable as an FIA steward, which is precisely what he was during some of the most contentious penalty decisions of the past several seasons.
It was Herbert who sat on the panel that handed Verstappen two separate ten-second penalties at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, a race where Verstappen and Lando Norris were fighting for the championship itself. Jos Verstappen publicly accused Herbert of a conflict of interest at the time, given Herbert was simultaneously working as a television pundit criticising the very driver he was stewarding. The FIA agreed and removed him from the role, deeming it incompatible.
As scrutiny around Verstappen’s treatment by officials has grown, Herbert’s comments pour further fuel on a fire that never really went out.
The Problem With “We All Do It”
Herbert’s defence essentially amounts to: everyone is biased, so my bias is fine. That logic works in a pub argument. It does not work when you hold a judicial role in a world championship. Stewards are not fans with clipboards. They are supposed to apply the rules without fear or favour.
Herbert has since lost the steward role and now commentates freely. Good. At least there is now an appropriate job for his particular brand of British loyalty. Whether his past decisions deserve fresh scrutiny is a question the FIA will almost certainly never answer honestly.
