BREAKING NEWS: Jos Verstappen Warns FIA Stewards Amid Con..

Jos Verstappen Warns FIA Stewards Amid Concerns of ‘Conflict of Interest’ Following Johnny Herbert’s Comments

Jos Verstappen, the father of reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, has issued a stern warning to FIA stewards, arguing they should avoid speaking to the media after Johnny Herbert publicly criticized the Red Bull driver. The warning comes in the wake of Max Verstappen receiving two 10-second penalties during the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix for incidents involving McLaren’s Lando Norris, his main title rival this season.

Max Verstappen endured a tough race in Mexico after the penalties left him stationary in the pit lane for 20 seconds. This dropped him to sixth place, his worst finish in a race he completed this season. Meanwhile, Norris finished second behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, trimming 10 points from Verstappen’s lead in the championship—his largest points loss in a race where both finished this year.

Herbert, a former Formula 1 driver and current Sky F1 pundit, was one of the stewards who penalized Verstappen in Mexico. Speaking in a personal capacity later, Herbert harshly criticized Verstappen, labeling his driving as having a “horrible mindset” and defending the decision to penalize the Dutchman for his on-track conduct with Norris. Herbert stated that Verstappen’s moves during wheel-to-wheel battles were “an absolute no-no.”

In response, Jos Verstappen voiced his concerns, emphasizing that FIA stewards should refrain from commenting to the press and focus solely on their roles in officiating the sport. Speaking to Viaplay, Jos acknowledged that his son may have crossed the line in one of the incidents with Norris at Turn 7 in Mexico, where both drivers went off track before Verstappen rejoined ahead. However, he strongly suggested that stewards, like Herbert, should not be permitted to engage with the media after races, believing it raises concerns about fairness and impartiality.

“I think Max went too far in the second incident with Lando in Mexico, and Max probably feels the same way now,” Jos said. “But a steward should not be talking to the press, they should focus on doing their job consistently. That’s not the case right now.”

Jos’s comments also hinted at broader concerns regarding the stewards’ independence and possible conflicts of interest. He highlighted that some stewards may have biases, particularly if they have historical ties to certain teams or drivers. According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Jos’s concerns relate to the appointment of stewards like Johnny Herbert and Tim Mayer, son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, during the Mexican Grand Prix. Jos implied that these connections might give rise to perceptions of favoritism or unfair treatment.

“If you look at Sunday’s incidents, Max might have been a bit aggressive, but he’s just trying to drive the way he needs to because the car isn’t good enough,” Jos remarked. “Max isn’t going to change his driving style just because a few stewards don’t like him.”

Verstappen Sr. also called for the FIA to carefully review their selection of stewards to ensure no appearance of a conflict of interest, particularly when former drivers are involved who may have personal sympathies toward certain teams or drivers.

Johnny Herbert is once again serving on the stewards’ panel at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. During Saturday’s sprint race at Interlagos, Max Verstappen was handed a retrospective five-second penalty and one penalty point for violating Virtual Safety Car procedures. As a result, he dropped from third to fourth in the final classification, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking the final podium spot. Norris’s victory in the sprint further reduced Verstappen’s championship lead to 44 points.

With Verstappen now sitting on seven penalty points for the season, just five short of the 12-point limit that triggers a race ban, his on-track conduct will be under close scrutiny for the remainder of the season. Should Verstappen avoid further penalties, his points total will drop by two on November 19 when his penalty from last year’s Las Vegas GP expires.

The escalating tensions between Verstappen’s camp and the FIA come at a crucial time in the 2024 season, as the championship battle intensifies ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.