Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father, has expressed concern over the independence of FIA stewards, particularly following criticism from Johnny Herbert, a former F1 driver and member of the panel that penalized Max Verstappen at the recent Mexican Grand Prix. Max received two 10-second penalties for separate incidents involving Lando Norris, a main rival for the 2024 F1 title, which cost him a total of 20 seconds in the race and ultimately left him finishing sixth. Norris finished second, significantly cutting into Verstappen’s lead in the championship.
In his comments, Herbert, speaking independently, had called Verstappen’s actions in the on-track clashes with Norris unacceptable, describing them as reflective of a “horrible mindset.” While Jos Verstappen acknowledged that Max may have overstepped in one of the incidents, he argued that stewards should refrain from media commentary, as this could compromise their objectivity and create potential conflicts of interest. Verstappen Sr. specifically questioned the selection of certain stewards, noting that Herbert and Tim Mayer, the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, were among those on the panel in Mexico, suggesting that such appointments could appear biased.
Jos concluded that while his son might agree he pushed limits in one instance, Max ultimately needs to race on his own terms without overthinking external criticisms.
