believes ought to have been disqualified from Sunday’s because the fallout from the Dutchman’s collision with continues.
Verstappen intentionally through the closing phases of Sunday’s race. The Dutchman was given a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth, and handed three penalty factors on his superlicence. He’s now simply from a race ban.
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Nico Rosberg, the 2016 F1 world champion, stated on commentary duties for Sky Sports activities F1 that Verstappen ought to have been disqualified and ex-F1 racer Herbert agreed with that evaluation.
“I completely agree with Nico Rosberg — Max Verstappen deserved a black flag and may have been disqualified,” Herbert stated.
“There is a level the place it’s a must to be laborious on the motive force when there have been lots of all these incidents. Verstappen is the perfect driver on the monitor, with the perfect racecraft and judgement, however there’s all the time a narrative with him.
“It is normally some sort of racing incident all of us find yourself speaking about with Verstappen, sadly. It was clear as day that Verstappen’s transfer on George Russell was on goal. He backed out on the proper nook, the place he might then assault and retake the place by driving into Russell. To me, that is overstepping the mark.”
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Herbert added that modern-day racing involving “wheel-banging” must be stamped out by the stewards.
“A black flag is one thing that would have been considered by the stewards and the race director, it’s a must to cease this wheel-banging sort of racing,” Herbert stated, in affiliation with . “Anybody can go and crash into one other automotive, it’s very incorrect to purposely bang right into a fellow driver.
Johnny Herbert says Max Verstappen ought to have been disqualified (Getty Pictures)
“It is occurred traditionally, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, with Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, and with Jacques Villeneuve too. Within the 1997 incident, Schumacher was banned for the season.
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“For me, I might wish to suppose I used to be a tough and clear racer, and Verstappen might be that too, that collision overstepped the mark. I do not need to see it, nor do the drivers.
“That sort of racing shouldn’t occur. If it does occur, the penalty needs to be harsher to stamp it out. It will possibly’t simply be a 10-second penalty, in any other case you are treating it like another racing incident.”
Verstappen was penalised by the stewards for the incident with George Russell (PA Wire)
Herbert was in January after being criticised by Verstappen’s dad, Jos, for commenting on the Dutchman’s driving type as a media pundit, alongside being an official.
The 60-year-old was essential of Verstappen’s driving type in Mexico final 12 months, when the previous British driver was a part of the stewarding panel who dished out a 20-second penalty to the Crimson Bull driver. This incident prompted Jos to rebuke: “I feel a steward shouldn’t speak to the press in any respect.”
Herbert was then dropped by the FIA previous to the 2025 season because of the “incompatibility” of his twin position.
The subsequent race of the 2025 season is the Canadian Grand Prix on 15 June.
