Herbert responded to accusations of bias among stewards

After the finish of the Mexico City Grand Prix, in which Max Verstappen received two ten-second penalties for pushing Lando Norris off the track, Jos Verstappen accused the stewards of bias. Johnny Herbert, one of the stewards who made the decision, responded to these allegations.

Johnny Herbert: “There is always a problem with British stewards being seen as biased. But when we are in the decision-making room, we follow the rules and recommendations of the FIA. On this basis we evaluate the events on the circuit. To say we are biased is simply absurd and untrue.

We try to act as fairly as possible. The problem is the tactics we see on the track: the driving style of some drivers is not considered correct according to the rules, and what happened in Mexico City showed that we made the right decision.

In Mexico City the stewards next to me were an American, a Belgian and a Brazilian, and each of us had the same powers. Talking about injustice is downright ridiculous.

The stewards’ attitude to this issue is correct and our decision was clear, as the instructions describe what to look for and how to act in such a situation. When we gave Max Verstappen two ten-second time penalties, we all agreed with the decision.

Always remember that the decision is made by four stewards. And in Brazil the stewards will not change anything. We have instructions and we stick to them. We will judge the on-track events the same way we have done all season.”