Johnny Herbert reacts to Max Verstappen's Brazilian GP win after reprising F1 steward role

Former F1 racer Johnny Herbert has been the target of some angry Max Verstappen fans online who accuse him of allowing 'British bias' to influence his decisions as an FIA steward

Johnny Herbert has hailed Max Verstappen's "stunning drive" to victory in Brazil.

And the British former Formula 1 racer insists he will continue to share his opinions on the sport's biggest stories. That is despite some criticism from Verstappen's fans over his negative comments about the Dutchman's aggressive driving style.

Some have asserted that an FIA steward - Herbert was one of the four on duty at the most recent races in Mexico and Brazil - should not share their opinions on the drivers in public . Former Sky Sports F1 pundit Herbert was critical of Verstappen's driving after handing him 20 seconds' worth of penalties for running title rival Lando Norris off the road in Mexico City.

He insists, though, that his comments and personal opinions have no bearing whatsoever in his decision-making when on duty in his FIA role. "I am Johnny Herbert the steward and the professional during a race weekend and Johnny Herbert a pundit at other times who expresses what he thinks," he told SafestBettingSites.co.uk.

"Everyone has an opinion. Martin Brundle has an opinion. Why can't I when I am not at the racetrack? The racetrack has been my world for 50 years. If I do not quite agree with what I see on the racetrack I will say so. It is not just Max - I will criticise anyone if I feel it is warranted.

"Is there any bias? No, of course not. I was not the only one to think that Max was over the top in Mexico. Lando Norris and [McLaren CEO] Zak Brown thought so too. When I do speak to people on a Monday or Tuesday that is outside my stewarding responsibilities."

Verstappen drove from 17th on the grid to win at Interlagos on Sunday, all-but completely ending Norris' hopes of becoming champion this year. The Dutchman benefitted from the lucky timing of a red flag, but still it was a remarkable drive including a first-lap charge which saw him move up from 17th on the grid to 11th within seconds.

Herbert was so impressed with what he was from the Red Bull driver he compared it to some of the greatest performances from F1's best ever drivers. He added: "When you do a drive like Max Verstappen did, you deserve to be in the position. He has earned the world championship. That was a stunning drive.

"The conditions were tricky on a demanding track, and he dealt with it supremely... The question for me, again, is why did he do what he did in Mexico when he showed in Brazil he did not need to? It was brilliant to see what he did. It is showing that maturity is coming, and his sheer speed is unbelievable.

"It is one of the all-time great drives. The belief he has in himself is one the true greats have like Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna who said there were times when you had an out-of-body experience and everything was perfect. From what I saw on Sunday, that was one of those days for Max where he showed sheer brilliance."

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