Johnny Herbert

Every time I saw Eddie, he’d say, ‘I made you!’, which goes all the way back to Formula 3. I knew of his own racing – he wasn’t a bad driver – and at the end of 1986 I saw him at the Grovewood Awards. He said, ‘Has anyone signed you yet?’ and I said no, so basically on the back of a napkin we did a deal.

He had backing from Stelrad so had about three-quarters of a budget and was able to give me the chance – I had no budget. He had been close to the F3 title before and he was desperate to win it. Obviously he found the right driver! When it did happen you could tell in his body language the lift it gave him. The dream of F1 was there, that’s what he wanted to do.

In F3000 we had no sponsorship. In Spain [at Jerez] for the opening race of 1988 I put it on pole and he rang Camel. They said they’d already done their deals but they agreed to a meeting the following week if I won the race – I think just to get him off the phone! Before the race he went to other teams and got a Camel sticker to put on the car. I won the race, he had his meeting and he got Camel sponsorship for the next two years…

Johnny Herbert, Eddie Jordan Racing Reynard 88D

Photo by: Motorsport Images

That was Eddie. It didn’t matter to him if a deal was £1.50, it was a deal. What he achieved was impressive and he was refreshing when he came into F1.

He had a strength – the people he had were a part of the family. He was part of theirs and they were part of his. He had an ability to get the best out of people and had people like Bosco Quinn and Andy Stevenson who were important and loyal. It was all the little ingredients that he took all the way to F1.

He was good at giving drivers opportunities, like Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen after his time at Williams. He was always aware of the talent. When Frentzen came it was like a family, like he’d had at Sauber, after the hard time at Williams. You made the driver comfortable. He had an eye for talent and an eye for how to put it together.

He’s left a wonderful legacy. It was a lovely period and it was beautiful to have Eddie in F1.

Sacked FIA race steward Johnny Herbert has taken aim at Formula 1’s governing body and hit back at accusations of bias.

Herbert was dropped as an F1 steward one month ago after the FIA decided his “duties as a steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible”.

The shock announcement came after he found himself at the centre of a row involving world champion Max Verstappen and his father Jos. Herbert was on the body of stewards that presided over last year’s Mexico Grand Prix, where the Red Bull driver was given two 10-second penalties for two incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

It sparked accusations from Jos Verstappen that “the FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest”.

Speaking to CasinoApps.com, Herbert said: “Certain people spoke to [FIA president] Mohammed Ben Sulayem about sacking me. It didn’t come from within the FIA initially. It was all to do with chitter-chatter to the FIA that made them change their point of view.

“Everything I’d done all year long in 2024 had been discussed and accepted.

“Two days before I was eventually given the sack over the phone, I’d been told all was good for 2025. Then it wasn’t.

Johnny Herbert

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

“I understand how everything came about. But I am not going to point the finger. But as I said, there were certain people who did actually speak with the president and that’s why the president finally made that decision to get rid of me.”

Reflecting on the decision and accusations of British bias, Herbert added: “The Verstappens keep intimating there’s a bias.

“I keep reading about the supposed bias. I read that and then wonder, ‘so I can’t support a British driver because I’m British?’ I can’t support Lewis or George or Lando. It’s ridiculous.

“But coming the other way is fine apparently as was the case in what happened with me.

“If you’re a Dutchman, you can sort of have a go at the Brits and say the Brits have got no real morals for how they are as race fans. It’s supposed to go both ways isn’t it.

“I’m absolutely fine with [parting ways with the FIA]. It was upsetting at the time because I enjoyed it, and I felt that I was doing the best job and with no bias towards anybody.”

Herbert has also weighed in on claims that Ben Sulayem demanded members of the world motorsport council signed non-disclosure agreements, after British duo Robert Reid and David Richards were barred from a meeting on Wednesday after refusing to sign NDAs.

Herbert accused the FIA of being “more controlling” and having a “heavy-handed” approach. He said: “The FIA are more controlling than before and now have a heavy-handed way of dealing with things. There does seem to be a more controlling factor coming into play.

David Richards and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“Dave Richards was one of those who refused to sign an NDA and therefore wasn’t allowed into the room for the World Motor Sport Council meeting earlier this week.

“Dave’s been around the world for many a decade [as a former British American Racing team principal who also heads Motorsport UK] and a big part of the FIA at the same time.

“Signing an NDA and confidentiality agreements is not the norm, but it’s becoming the norm. There definitely seems to be a more heavy-handed way of dealing with things now.”

Sacked FIA race steward Johnny Herbert has taken aim at Formula 1’s governing body and hit back at accusations of bias.

Herbert was dropped as an F1 steward one month ago after the FIA decided his “duties as a steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible”.

The shock announcement came after he found himself at the centre of a row involving world champion Max Verstappen and his father Jos. Herbert was on the body of stewards that presided over last year’s Mexico Grand Prix where the Red Bull driver was given two 10-second penalties for two incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

It sparked accusations from Jos Verstappen that “the FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest”.

Speaking to CasinoApps.com, Herbert said: “Certain people spoke to [FIA president] Mohammed Ben Sulayem about sacking me. It didn’t come from within the FIA initially. It was all to do with chitter chatter to the FIA that made them change their point of view.

“Everything I’d done all year long in 2024 had been discussed and accepted.

“Two days before I was eventually given the sack over the phone, I’d been told all was good for 2025. Then it wasn’t.

Johnny Herbert

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

“I understand how everything came about. But I am not going to point the finger. But as I said, there were certain people who did actually speak with the president and that’s why the president finally made that decision to get rid of me.”

Reflecting on the decision and accusations of British bias, Herbert added: “The Verstappens keep intimating there’s a bias.

“I keep reading about the supposed bias. I read that and then wonder, ‘so I can’t support a British driver because I’m British?’ I can’t support Lewis or George or Lando. It’s ridiculous.

“But coming the other way is fine apparently as was the case in what happened with me.

“If you’re a Dutchman, you can sort of have a go at the Brits and say the Brits have got no real morals for how they are as race fans. It’s supposed to go both ways isn’t it.

“I’m absolutely fine with [parting ways with the FIA]. It was upsetting at the time because I enjoyed it, and I felt that I was doing the best job and with no bias towards anybody.”

Herbert has also weighed in on claims that Ben Sulayem demanded members of the world motorsport council signed non-disclosure agreements, after British duo Robert Reid and David Richards were barred from a meeting on Wednesday after refusing to sign NDAs.

Herbert accused the FIA of being “more controlling” and having a “heavy-handed” approach. He said: “The FIA are more controlling than before and now have a heavy-handed way of dealing with things. There does seem to be a more controlling factor coming into play.

David Richards and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“Dave Richards was one of those who refused to sign an NDA and therefore wasn’t allowed into the room for the World Motor Sport Council meeting earlier this week.

“Dave’s been around the world for many a decade [as a former British American Racing team principal who also heads Motorsport UK] and a big part of the FIA at the same time.

“Signing an NDA and confidentiality agreements is not the norm, but it’s becoming the norm. There definitely seems to be a more heavy-handed way of dealing with things now.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says Formula 1’s governing body the FIA was right to part ways with steward Johnny Herbert.

On Wednesday the FIA stated that Herbert, a long-time driver steward as the veteran of 160 grand prix starts, would no longer act as a steward at grand prix weekends.

The FIA felt Herbert’s media activities, especially those as a pundit for gambling websites, were incompatible with the role of a steward.

“Johnny is widely respected and brought invaluable experience and expertise to his role,” the FIA communicated. “However, after discussion, it was mutually agreed that his duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible.”

Red Bull chief Horner, whose driver Max Verstappen was regularly at odds with Herbert last year, said the 60-year-old’s removal was the correct decision, though refuting suggestions Verstappen had anything to do with the matter.

“Well, firstly, absolutely nothing to do with Max, but absolutely the right decision,” Horner told Sky Sports F1 at the Autosport Awards in London. “You cannot have stewards working in the media. You don’t have it in the Premiership. You don’t have 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.”

Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Verstappen’s father Jos had also been critical of Herbert’s dual roles, saying “a steward shouldn’t talk to the press at all”, while Herbert felt there was no conflict of interest between his different activities.

“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 said in November. “When I do speak to people on a Monday or Tuesday that is outside my stewarding responsibilities.”

Herbert’s dismissal for taking on punditry gigs further highlighted a desire by many in the sport for FIA stewards to become full-time professionals instead of relying on part-time volunteers, a stance taken by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

“To have part-time, unpaid stewards in a multi-billion-dollar sport where everything is on the line to make the right call… I don’t think we are set up for success by not having full-time stewards,” Brown said at the Autosport Business Exchange: London.

“As far as paying for the stewards, this will probably be unpopular amongst my fellow teams. I’m happy if McLaren and all the racing teams contribute. It’s so important for the sport. It can’t be that expensive if everybody contributes. It’s not going to break the bank.”

Brown also felt stewards should be given the scope to show more leniency as they interpret the racing rules, which came under intense scrutiny in 2024 as Verstappen and Lando Norris battled in Austin and Mexico.

“The individuals are fine but the rulebook is too restrictive,” he added. “I’d like us to take a step back, loosen it up. Have full-time stewards who can make more of a subjective decision of whether that was right or wrong.”