Tense stories
It is no secret that the relationship between the Verstappen family and former driver Johnny Herbert – now a TV commentator but previously an FIA steward following the Formula 1 GP – has always been rather stormy. The point of no return was probably reached at the 2024 Mexican GP: Herbert, in his role as steward, contributed to imposing two separate 10-second penalties against Verstappen, guilty of pushing Lando Norris off the track in a duel between the two that was not only for the GP but also for the World Championship.
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The former Benetton, Sauber and Stewart driver then gave some critical interviews towards the then reigning world champion in the days following that race, sparking the wrath of dad Jos who complained of a conflict of interest between Herbert the commentator who criticized Verstappen and the one who served as steward and had heavily penalized the Dutch driver in the race. The controversy that arose after this episode led the FIA to remove Herbert from the steward role, judging that the delicate role was “incompatible” with that of commentator.
Matters of homeland
Now, in a recent interview given to the betting site Vision4Sport, Herbert returned to talk about his relationship with the Verstappen ‘clan’ and in particular with some of the more passionate supporters (if they can be called that) of the Dutchman, from whom he revealed he had also been heavily threatened: “The fans who insulted me the most? Easy! The Dutch fans who were offended because I questioned Max Verstappen – Herbert said – they were actually not only Dutch. They also came from other countries. They told me ‘Death to Herbert’”. They were the worst. They accuse me of being biased. They still do with Martin Brundle. They say: ‘You are biased towards Lewis Hamilton’. Well, we are British and Lewis is British! You are Dutch, you cheer for Max and say we are biased, but you want us to cheer for Max“.
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“Of course we will cheer for a British driver – Herbert added – but it is an objective matter. We are also fascinated by the Flying Dutchman, but if England played football against the Netherlands, obviously I would cheer for England”, he concluded.
Words from Herbert that, however, might sound ‘off’ not so much in relation to his role as commentator but to that of FIA steward, which he held for several seasons and which should require a certain detachment from personal and ‘patriotic’ sympathies.
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