Herbert says stewards held talks with drivers, as Verstappen's backed

F1 News

FIA steward Johnny Herbert talked with F1 drivers about Verstappen penalty
5 October at 13:00

At the Singapore GP press conference, Max Verstappen got given a community service penalty by the FIA stewards for swearing, one of whom is former driver Johnny Herbert. The Briton shared that talks have taken place with drivers, who backed the three-time world champion following the controversy.

FIA steward Herbert on talks with F1 drivers

"We had a meeting with the drivers afterwards when at least one, who I won’t name, made clear that in his opinion, swearing was not acceptable," Herbert said talking to Casino Hawks. However, the Briton also underlined that the drivers collectively stood behind Verstappen.

The former driver admitted that he could appriciate Verstappen's protest in one way, that showed the Dutchman's 'rebellious nature'. Still, he thinks the stewards made the correct decision. "There are many youngsters around the world who love the sport and worship the drivers. Drivers have to understand that they are role models," he continued.

Verstappen's community service still unknown

What Verstappen's penalty will turn out to be is also not known at the moment. "We made the decision that there was a case to answer if you like. It is between Max and the FIA to agree what the sanction should be and what it would be. That part is out of our control," Herbert concluded.

This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder


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