FIA steward dismisses Jos Verstappen’s “ridiculous” claims after F1 Mexican GP. Johnny Herbert reacts to Jos Verstappen's suggestions of potential unequal treatment among drivers by race stewards..

Johnny Herbert refuses to entertain Jos Verstappen’s suggestions of potential unequal treatment among drivers by race stewards.

The former British driver and TV analyst, now regularly serving as an FIA steward, responded to the recent allegations by the father of the three-time world champion, who claimed that “the FIA should carefully review the composition of the stewards, who they’ve put in place, and whether there’s even a hint of conflict of interest.”

Johnny Herbert strikes back
According to Johnny Herbert, there is no bias or favoritism among the stewards: “It always seems like us British stewards are accused of bias, but when we’re in that room, we stick to the rules and FIA guidelines,” the Englishman told Action Network.

“That’s how we have to judge races on track. Saying it’s ‘biased’ is absolutely ridiculous and unfounded. We try to be as fair as possible in our judgment.”

“The problem we have is with conduct we see on the track. There are driving styles that are not considered appropriate according to the guidelines.”

“The situation we had in Mexico showed that we made the right decision. In Mexico, the stewards besides me were American, Belgian, and Brazilian, all with equal authority. Saying there’s bias is ridiculous.”

In addition to Johnny Herbert, last weekend’s steward panel included Tim Mayer, a well-known steward with extensive experience as a race official, lawyer Loïc Bacquelaine, and Mexican official Alfonso Oros Trigueros.

Continuing with the same approach
Despite the controversy surrounding the two ten-second penalties given to Max Verstappen, Johnny Herbert emphasized that the stewards’ assessment approach will not change: “The attitude in the stewards’ room was really positive, and our decision was clear because the guidelines tell us what to look for and how to handle the situation.”

“When we imposed the two ten-second penalties on Max Verstappen, we were all in agreement. Always remember that there are four stewards making these decisions. The stewards will not change anything in Brazil.”

“We have the guidelines, and those are what we’ll follow. We will judge what happens on the track the same way we have all season.”