According to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the recent departure of FIA steward Johnny Herbert is due to a conflict of interest. The British former driver judged race incidents on behalf of the FIA while simultaneously playing a prominent role in Formula 1 media. To ensure the objectivity of the stewards in the future, Sulayem plans to bring in new blood by 2025.
The FIA bid farewell to permanent steward Johnny Herbert at the end of January. In an official statement, the organization declared that his work in the media and his responsibilities as a steward were ‘incompatible’. Although the 60-year-old Brit retired from the media team at Sky Sports in 2022, he has often been outspoken against other digital media. For instance, he frequently criticized Max Verstappen in 2024 for his ‘aggressive driving style’.
In a conversation with the Spanish Marca, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated that a steward must always remain impartial. “Johnny (Herbert) was a very good steward, but there was a conflict of interest,” said the Emirati. “He knows this himself. You can’t be a journalist and express your viewpoint, but also play the objective referee. What if your favorite driver is behind the opponent? How are you going to judge then? Herbert understood this decision. The FIA thanks him for his contribution.”
New Faces
The FIA currently utilizes a rotating pool of stewards throughout the year. This approach has been criticized in the past, for instance by Jos Verstappen. Ben Sulayem advocates for the introduction of some new faces. “Our selection should be broader,” he recently stated at the FIA Officials Summit in Madrid. Soon, there will be an influx of new stewards from the FIA’s training program for officials. “This will provide us with a new selection to support motorsport,” he explained.
Sulayem also believes that changes need to be made within the race direction. At the end of 2024, Formula 1 bid farewell to race director Niels Wittich. The German’s departure was accompanied by much uncertainty – did he resign or was he shown the door? From the GP of Las Vegas, he was replaced by Rui Marques. It will soon be announced what the race direction will look like in 2025. “Who and how many is a question we can answer quickly,” Sulayem concluded. “There will definitely be new people coming and there will be more than one.”
