Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, has acknowledged that Johnny Herbert’s “conflict of interest” made his position as an F1 steward untenable. 

And he revealed that the former F1 driver parted company with the sport’s governing body on amicable terms, having recognised that he did hold a conflict of interest.

FIA president admits Johnny Herbert ‘conflict of interest’

The FIA announced last week that Herbert will no longer serve as a steward ahead of the F1 2025 season, having voiced a number of brash opinions in the media throughout last year.

In a statement, the governing body announced “with regret” that Herbert will no longer feature as the driver representative on stewards’ panels on F1 race weekends, describing his punditry work “incompatible” with the role of an official.

It came after Herbert attracted controversy for criticising Max Verstappen’s “horrible mindset” days after his involvement in the stewards’ verdict to hand the Red Bull driver two 10-second penalties for separate clashes with McLaren’s Lando Norris at last year’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, took exception to Herbert’s comments and claimed at the time that the FIA risked “having the appearance of a conflict of interest” with their choice of stewards.

Herbert, who worked as a Sky F1 television pundit between 2012 and 2022, is understood to have been in line to serve as steward at the opening race of the F1 2025 season, the Australian Grand Prix on March 16, before the news of his departure was announced.

The 60-year-old offered a short statement after his exit was confirmed, insisting that stewards “have and will continue to treat both drivers and team personnel with the utmost respect and remain impartial at all times during all F1 grand prix weekends.”

Addressing Herbert’s departure at an FIA event at the Jarama circuit on Friday, Ben Sulayem admitted that Herbert did hold a conflict of interest.

And he revealed that the three-time F1 race winner, who has since landed a new role as a Lola brand ambassador, “understood” the decision to part ways ahead of F1 2025.

According to Spanish publication Marca, Ben Sulayem said: “Johnny was a very good commissioner, but then there was a conflict of interest and he knows that.

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“You can’t be a journalist in a big company and express your point of view and then play the commissioner, who is a referee. You [might] say: ‘My best case scenario is that so-and-so wins.’

“And what if that driver you prefer has another driver in first or second place? How do you make your judgement?

“He understood [the decision] and he thanked the FIA [for the opportunity] and we thanked him for what he did.”

The FIA announced plans last year for a new officials department, aimed at training the next generation of officials in motor racing in the hope of giving F1’s governing body greater strength in depth.

Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, recently commented that it will make the FIA “a more professional body” going forward.

Ben Sulayem went on to acknowledge that the FIA need a wider array of stewards available, declaring the need to develop “new blood.”

He added: “Our selection [of stewards] should be wider.

“We should not be limited and that is why tomorrow with the stewards we will have new blood.

“It will give us a new selection that is going to sustain the business of motorsport.”

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, recently welcomed the FIA’s move to part company with Herbert.

And he insisted that Verstappen had no influence on the decision, telling Sky Sports News: “It has absolutely nothing to do with Max, but it’s absolutely the right decision.

“You cannot have stewards working in the media. You don’t have it in the Premiership [football league], you don’t have it in any other form of professional sport.

“It’s totally inappropriate. You’re either on the sporting regulatory side or you’re on the media side.

“You can’t have a foot in both camps.”

Ben Sulayem’s latest comments come after the FIA president revealed that the role of race director will be shared between a number of people in F1 2025.

The F1 2024 season proved another turbulent season for the FIA as race director Niels Wittich left the role ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, with Rui Marques combining his role as F2 race director to oversee the final three races of the season.

Ben Sulayem appeared to confirm on Friday that “more than one” race director will be employed in F1 2025, with the exact number of officials involved to be decided “in the next few days.”

PlanetF1.com has approached the FIA for comment.