FIA steward and former Grand Prix driver Johnny Herbert believes the double dose of sanctions imposed on Max Verstappen in the Mexico City Grand Prix won’t curb the Dutchman’s aggressive driving style.
Last weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Verstappen was hit with two 10-second penalties for two separate incidents involving Lando Norris, where he forced the McLaren driver off the track.
While the penalties were deemed necessary by the stewards, Herbert doubts they will deter Verstappen from pushing the boundaries.
“Those penalties in Mexico won’t stop Max Verstappen from pushing Lando Norris off the track in the future,” Herbert told Action network.
“The whole intention of Verstappen was to try to let Ferrari get the 1-2 finish. I think that’s definitely what Verstappen intended and tried to achieve.
“I understand why he did it but I don’t agree with it, I don’t think many people do. ‘Fair racing’ is something Norris has mentioned before, and that’s the type of fight he wants to have.”
According to Herbert, Verstappen's actions in Mexico seemed to be part of a larger strategy specifically aimed at Norris.
“I don’t see Verstappen’s driving changing because the number one goal is to stop Norris from closing the gap for the drivers’ championship,” the Briton added.
“We potentially still have a lot of interesting racing coming our way.”
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Last weekend’s incidents sparked divided opinions in the paddock, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown suggesting the penalties in Mexico were too lenient, while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner argued they were overly severe.
But Herbert stands by the stewards’ decision.
“It’s the guidelines we followed, the teams agreed with our decisions,” he said. “The right decision was made, the 20-second penalty for Max Verstappen was not harsh. Was Verstappen’s driving style on the edge or over the top? Yes, it was.
“Verstappen’s driving style was harsh, especially when he’s taking a fellow driver off the track. It’s an absolute no-no from me, current drivers, former drivers and stewards.”
Like his good friend and former Sky F1 colleague Martin Brundle, Herbert admitted to being a big admirer of Verstappen’s talent, but the three-time Grand Prix winner remains critical of his recent tactics.
“I am such a big fan of Verstappen and it frustrates me massively when he drives the way he did in Mexico,” Herbert explained.
“He doesn’t need to do it, he’s so good in the cockpit and at this point in the championship, he just needs to stay out of trouble and drive as well as possible.”
Herbert believes that Verstappen’s mindset in Mexico – trying to gain a strategic advantage by pushing rivals off-track – shows an unnecessary ruthlessness that could jeopardize his reputation.
“When Verstappen goes into this horrible mindset of trying to gain an advantage by taking a fellow driver off the race track so Ferrari can get the 1-2, that is where Verstappen needs to know he doesn’t have to do that. Just win in the cleanest possible way you can,” he concluded.
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