Johnny Herbert believes Max Verstappen should have been disqualified from Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix as the fallout from the Dutchman’s collision with George Russell continues.
Verstappen deliberately drove into arch-rival Russell during the closing stages of Sunday’s race. The Dutchman was given a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth, and handed three penalty points on his FIA superlicence. He is now just one point away from a race ban.
Nico Rosberg, the 2016 F1 world champion, said on commentary duties for Sky Sports F1 that Verstappen should have been disqualified and ex-F1 racer Herbert agreed with that assessment.
“I totally agree with Nico Rosberg -- Max Verstappen deserved a black flag and should have been disqualified,” Herbert said.
“There's a point where you have to be hard on the driver when there have been many of these types of incidents. Verstappen is the best driver on the track, with the best racecraft and judgement, but there is always a story with him.
“It's usually some kind of racing incident we all end up talking about with Verstappen, unfortunately. It was clear as day that Verstappen's move on George Russell was on purpose. He backed out at the right corner, where he could then attack and retake the place by driving into Russell. To me, that's overstepping the mark.”
Herbert added that modern-day racing involving “wheel-banging” needs to be stamped out by the stewards.
"A black flag is something that could have been thought of by the stewards and the race director, you have to stop this wheel-banging type of racing,” Herbert said, in association with RoobetAlternatives. “Anyone can go and crash into another car, it's totally wrong to purposely bang into a fellow driver.
“It's happened historically, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, with Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, and with Jacques Villeneuve too. In the 1997 incident, Schumacher was banned for the season.
"For me, I'd like to think I was a hard and clean racer, and Verstappen can be that too, that collision overstepped the mark. I don't want to see it, nor do the drivers.
“That type of racing should not happen. If it does happen, the penalty should be harsher to stamp it out. It can't just be a 10-second penalty, otherwise you're treating it like any other racing incident."
Herbert was dropped as an F1 race steward in January after being criticised by Verstappen’s dad, Jos, for commenting on the Dutchman’s driving style as a media pundit, alongside being an official.
The 60-year-old was critical of Verstappen’s driving style in Mexico last year, when the former British driver was part of the stewarding panel who dished out a 20-second penalty to the Red Bull driver. This incident prompted Jos to rebuke: “I think a steward shouldn’t talk to the press at all.”
Herbert was then dropped by the FIA prior to the 2025 season due to the “incompatibility” of his dual role.
The next race of the 2025 season is the Canadian Grand Prix on 15 June.
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