i’m f1 steward that reprimanded Max Verstappen for cursing – I adore him but he earned it’

Max Verstappen went to fight with the FIA at the Singapore Grand Prix when he was given a community service sentence for cursing in an official news conference

Johnny Herbert has shared his thoughts on the Formula 1 stewards’ choice to penalize Max Verstappen with community work in lieu of a fine for using profanity.

Herbert, a former Formula One racer, was one of the four FIA stewards present at last month’s Singapore Grand Prix. Consequently, he handled Verstappen’s case with others when the latter uttered the F-word during a formal news conference on the Thursday prior to the race.

Herbert, the driver steward on duty at the event, explained why they ordered Verstappen to “accomplish some work of public interest” after the Red Bull racer used the F-word during a press conference in Singapore. The press conferences are broadcast globally, and there is more swearing than ever before.

“According to some media, the sport aims to turn drivers into robots. That’s not true; all you’re doing, in my opinion, is asking them to refrain from swearing. Not many drivers use profanity.

“We were referred to as stewards in the incident. We had a good open talk with Max for around 20 minutes, half an hour, in what was a challenging circumstance. You could see in his face he was obviously stirred up about it. But as he left, he looked to be mollified about the procedure and why it’s there. He placed no blame on us as custodians.

We felt it would be more beneficial to get him to do something socially responsible, though exactly what that is is up to Max and the FIA. As stewards, we have a variety of tools at our disposal to punish drivers. Our role is to enforce the rules and come to a decision together.”