Johnny Herbert He was a relatively successful pilot in the 1990s, with three Grand Prix victories (two with Benetton -where he was Schumacher’s teammate- and one with Stewart-Ford) to which he added a memorable victory at Le Manswith that Mazda rotary engine. Now, in addition to being a commentator, he is part of the Formula 1 commissioners panel.
As such, it was at the center of the controversy with that controversial sanction to Fernando Alonso in Australia (he already had a run-in with the Asturian years ago in Bahrain) and, this weekend, he also participated in another controversial penalty on Verstappen. The Briton reviews with MARCA, courtesy of CoinPoker.com, some of the main points of the F1 news…and gives us his particular vision of the situation of the two Spanish pilots.
RV Racingpress
Question: Speaking of bets… what would be the most ambitious bet for the British GP? Norris… or Verstappen? Because it seems that things have changed… right?
Answer: The comfort that Verstappen had has become… uncomfortable. But it’s like Senna or as Schumacher: always be able to achieve a victory that no one thought would be possible. But that is starting to change. It’s seen in the friendship with Lando, which is becoming more thorny because Norris is starting to put pressure on him, not allowing him to dictate the race. But Max has already been through this situation with Hamilton and knows how to deal with it.. That’s right, Norris is getting stronger, and McLaren are in a sweet momentmaybe not so much in qualifying but in the later stages of the races. The McLaren seems faster there and Lando knows it, it was demonstrated when Norris did not move out of the way in the accident with Max. I think Norris now thinks that can beat Verstappen by his own rules.
I still think that Alonso’s sanction was correct
Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver and commissioner
Q: You worked as a police commissioner in Austria, a risky profession. How do you handle the pressure of having to judge and punish so many actions so quickly?
A: Well, it’s part of our job. But the key is maintain consistency in the decisions, as requested by the teams and drivers. We have some rules, some precedents and with that we try to be consistent in the decisions. But The incidents that happen in the race are very different between them and that’s where it gets more difficult. There are four of us commissioners and we usually have the same vision of things.
Q: Is it more difficult to penalize Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso…?
A: We were in complete agreement that It was Max’s problem. Us We have a lot of informationWe know when the steering wheel moves, when it brakes… Norris complained about his movements and we have all the information about that. There is always pressure, but decisions have to be madeeven if they are sometimes uncomfortable. We cannot not penalize Norris for jumping the track limits four times because it is better for the showYou can’t do it. There are rules.
Herbert was an F1 commentator on Sky Sports until the 2023 season.RV Racingpress
Q: Drivers, journalists… we think there is a bit of inconsistency in the sanctions. Do you agree? Do you think a fixed panel of stewards would be better?
A: Obviously, sometimes there are different opinions, but Among the commissioners we all understand the races in a fairly similar way.The problem is that almost all situations are different from each other. I think that The decisions of the commissioners are quite coherentalthough there are drivers, journalists or team bosses who see it differently.
Q: You became famous in Spain after Alonso was given a penalty in Australia. Now that you’ve given him a penalty, I suppose you’re still convinced that it was fair… Were you surprised by his reaction?
A: I’m not surprised by any of the reactions from any of the drivers (laughs). Max also thought it was a tough decision, he didn’t agree. Pilots have always been like thisalso when I was racing and even before. With Fernando, all the data and statements, including his, told us that his maneuver was not correct and we made that decision. And I I still think about itThere are people who don’t share it… but there are also others who do.
Alonso deserves to have one or two more World Cups
Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver and commissioner
Q: You had your ups and downs in Bahrain too, but… is your relationship good?
A: Yes, we are fine. There may be disagreements, of course, but There is always respectFernando is one of the best drivers I have seen, I respect him a lot. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions And I think the drivers know that. There are times when you may not want to give a penalty, but you have to because those are the rules. There can be no favoritism.
RV Racingpress
Q: Do you think you will have a real chance of claiming another title in 2026 with Aston Martin Honda?
A: I don’t know… and nobody knows. You have to give him the tool, the carUntil they give it to him, it will be very difficult for him to get it. In Austria they had a very poor performance. Last year they started well but they have not evolved correctly. I know that They are betting heavily on bringing Adrian Newey but it may not come to fruition. Alonso He has all the skills to beat Max Yeah Lando. He deserves another World Cup, should have one or two more championshipsHe is driving fantastically well in a car that, unfortunately, does not allow Alonso to demonstrate his full potential.
Why hasn’t Mercedes gone for Sainz? I don’t understand it.
Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver and commissioner
Q: Are you surprised that Sainz’s future has recently been tied to the teams at the back of the grid?
A: I do not think that’s true, I can’t believe he’s talking to the teams behind him. Everyone knows how good Carlos is. Why hasn’t Mercedes gone for Carlos? I don’t understand that.. It would also fit perfectly in Red Bullis the situation with Audiof course, but will they be champions in 2026? I doubt it, because it is not easy to get there and win races. And Williams…yes, very well, they have improved… but they are not in a position to give a Grand Prix winner a car to win a title, nor is it going to happen in the next four or five years… if it ever happens. I hope there is some common sense by the teams, by Carlos and his representatives. They have to put pressure on the big teams. Carlos deserves more than Williams.
Herbert believes that Sainz junior deserves a seat in a leading teamRV Racingpress
Q: For Brits like you I imagine seeing Hamilton at Ferrari will be exciting… Is it the right time for that change?
A: Exciting, it’s going to be for sure (laughs). The right time? Absolutely. Hamilton knows the future that lies ahead at Mercedes and Vasseur must have told him what Ferrari’s future is. He must have thought: what option will give me the chance of an eighth world championship? And Ferrari, I think, was the obvious choice for Lewis. Hamilton is not going there just to wear red, but to win a championship dressed in red. It’s the perfect setting for Lewis fans, Ferrari fans, the British… Let’s hope it works.
