Ex-steward slams FIA president: Verstappen case shows drivers are being silenced

19:01, 18 Jul
Updated: 19:32, 18 Jul
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Johnny Herbert has issued harsh criticism of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, citing an incident involving Max Verstappen as an example of the growing culture of fear in Formula 1. According to the former F1 driver, drivers no longer feel free to speak out for fear of sanctions.
Herbert is worried about the direction the FIA is taking under Ben Sulayem. “There is genuine frustration with certain situations that have gone on,” he says. “Ben Sulayem has just removed Ben Cussons, the British VP of the RAC, and replaced him with an Azerbaijani. He seems to be trying to take all the decision-making into his own hands.”
According to Herbert, there is a worrying internal struggle at the top of the sport. “At the moment, it seems to be a fight and a power struggle. That’s not gone down well at all,” he states. “Drivers are also afraid of speaking freely — that’s a problem created by the president. Drivers should be able to express their feelings without fear of getting into trouble.”

‘The situation around Max Verstappen? That was just wrong’

The 61-year-old cites the situation involving Max Verstappen, who last year received a community service punishment for swearing.
After this, not only did the Red Bull Racing driver become less vocal, but his fellow drivers also clearly began to watch their words. “That’s very wrong. We need everyone working toward the same goal, not worrying about getting punished,” Herbert concludes.
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mohammed ben sulayem met fernando alonso en max verstappen
Mohammed Ben Sulayem with Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen
Herbert also spoke positively about American Tim Mayer, who has recently officially thrown his hat into the ring for the FIA presidency. Mayer is the son of former McLaren boss Teddy Mayer and has worked as a steward at F1 races in the past.
“Tim is a very methodical operator. I worked with him when I was a steward. He’d be a very good man to challenge Sulayem,” Herbert said. “Every president should always have someone pushing them to do things better,” he added. “The timing is right, and now it’s down to who can actually put across the best campaign.”