Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is happy that the former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has lost his post as an official steward. According to the British, Max Verstappen did not have his fingers in the game.
This week, the FIA Motorsport Association officially announced that Johnny Herbert will no longer work as a Steward on Formula 1 races. In its explanation, the FIA spoke of a “common decision”, but it is not really credible. And the association itself also wrote that Herbert’s double role as a steward and TV expert was “incompatible”.
After Herbert’s exemption, it was speculated whether Red Bull and Max Verstappen had their fingers in the game. Herbert publicly criticized the Dutch last year for his driving style in Mexico in an interview, and the Verstappen camp then shot back sharply. The ex-F1 driver again saw no problem in commenting on controversial decisions outside of his steward role.
“Formula 1 steward cannot work for media”
Not only the FIA sees it differently, but also Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “First of all: Max has absolutely nothing to do with it,” he made it clear to the “Skysports” microphone that his team had not interfered in the FIA matter.
The fact that Herbert was discontinued is the “absolutely right decision”, Horner continues. “The stewards cannot work for the media. There is no other sport. It is totally inappropriate.” You are either a regular guardian or a media member: “You can’t have your feet in both camps.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown also indicated that he saw the double function critically. On the one hand, he called for the establishment of full-time stewards that have to be paid well. On the other hand, he said that the rules must also be adjusted so that the job of the stewards becomes more feasible, because in principle they already know “what is right and what is wrong”.