Jos Verstappen sends clear FIA stewards warning amid ‘conflict of...

Jos Verstappen sends clear FIA stewards warning amid ‘conflict of…read more

Jos Verstappen, father of reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen, has publicly criticized FIA stewards, warning them to avoid speaking to the media. His comments come after former F1 driver Johnny Herbert, who was one of the stewards during the recent Mexican Grand Prix, spoke out about Max Verstappen’s driving style following his penalties for collisions with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

During the Mexican Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Verstappen was hit with two separate 10-second penalties for his on-track incidents with Norris. As a result, Verstappen was forced to serve a 20-second stationary penalty during a pit stop, drastically impacting his race. The penalty dropped the Dutchman to a sixth-place finish—one of his most challenging performances this season—while Norris capitalized by finishing second, significantly narrowing Verstappen’s points lead in the championship race.

The two penalties for Verstappen were rare setbacks in his otherwise dominant season, and Norris’s second-place finish helped him cut a valuable 10 points off Verstappen’s lead. This is the largest points gap Verstappen has lost to his main rival in a single race where both drivers completed the event, adding new tension to the 2024 title battle between the two.

Johnny Herbert, a well-known Sky F1 pundit and former F1 driver, was among the four FIA stewards who made the decision to penalize Verstappen in Mexico. Herbert, in addition to his role as a steward, publicly discussed Verstappen’s aggressive driving approach, stirring controversy and prompting Jos Verstappen’s call for FIA officials to maintain their impartiality by refraining from media commentary. Jos emphasized that stewards should avoid engaging with the press to prevent perceptions of bias or conflict of interest, suggesting that their decisions on race incidents should remain detached from any public narratives that might influence or pressure their judgments.

The incident has sparked further discussions on transparency and impartiality within the FIA, especially concerning the conduct of stewards who wield significant influence over the outcome of races. Critics argue that when stewards share opinions on drivers or race incidents in the media, it could impact public perception and driver confidence in the regulatory body. Jos Verstappen’s remarks underscore the delicate balance the FIA faces between enforcing fair regulations and maintaining a perception of neutrality, especially as the 2024 F1 season heads into its final, high-stakes races with the championship fight intensifying.