Horner insists Verstappen had no role in Herbert FIA exit

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has made it clear that Max Verstappen played no part in the FIA’s decision to remove former F1 steward Johnny Herbert from its panel of officials.

Horner’s comments come amid speculation surrounding Herbert’s exit, which followed the former driver’s public criticism of Verstappen’s aggressive on-track tactics, especially at last October’s Mexico Grand Prix where the Dutchman received two 10-second penalties for incidents involving McLaren rival Lando Norris.

In the aftermath of the race in Mexico City, Herbert also found himself engaged in a war of words in the media with Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, who criticized the Briton, insisting that “a steward shouldn't talk to the press at all”.

On Wednesday, the FIA announced that they had "mutually agreed" with Herbert that he would no longer serve as a driver steward on race weekends, citing his media work as indeed "incompatible" with his official duties with the governing body.

Horner: Decision Unrelated to Verstappen

Despite the controversy, Horner was adamant that the situation had nothing to do with Verstappen and fully supported the FIA’s move to separate stewarding from media involvement.

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"Firstly, it has absolutely nothing to do with Max. But it's absolutely the right decision," Horner told Sky Sports News at the Autosport Awards.

"You cannot have stewards working in the media.

"You don't have it in the Premiership, you don't have it in any other form of professional sport. It's totally inappropriate. You're either on the sporting regulatory side or you're on the media side.

"You can't have a foot in both camps."

Herbert Reflects on His Stewarding Role

Following the FIA’s announcement, Herbert shared his thoughts on Instagram, expressing gratitude for his time as a steward and acknowledging the challenges of the role.

He described the job as a "difficult" one, stating that "tough decisions… have to be made" but reaffirmed that stewards would continue to handle their duties with "the utmost respect and remain impartial."

While the timing of Herbert’s departure, coupled with his earlier criticism of Verstappen, might lead to speculation, Horner’s clear and forceful denial, supported by his rationale about the inherent conflict of interest, suggests that the decision was indeed based on broader principles of sporting governance.

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