Last Updated on January 27 2025, 11:09 pm

F1 Verstappen/stewarding controversy raises its head for 2025 – On the whole, the 2024 Formula One season was a thrilling affair. Red Bull came out of the blocks the way they’d finished their all conquering 2023 season with Max Verstappen winning seven of the first ten Grand Prix.

The world champion was in fact set to equal his own record of ten consecutive GP wins in Australia, before brake failure saw him relinquish the lead of the race and eventually retire in a puff of black dust and a rear right corner fire.

Yet all was not well within the Red Bull camp. Internal power struggles aside at the parent company, the RB20 was not the force to be reckoned with like its predecessor. The first real indication came in round six in Miami where Lando Norris claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory. Whilst he was aided by a late safety car, Verstappen didn’t not have the pace to match the McLaren once in clear air and so started a run for the British racing marque which would see them claim their first constructors title since 1998.

 

 

 

A view of F1 in 2024

Next time out in Imola, Max hung on to victory from Norris by less than a second at the narrow old school track which favours track position. Verstappen pulled out a wonder lap in qualifying to take the pole, which with hindsight decided the race win on a circuit almost as difficult to overtake on as Monaco.

Whilst reflecting on the 2024 season now, the impression one cold take is that there was across the year a consistent issue with driving standards – Verstappen’s in particular. Whilst the on track controversies began in Austria, with Max closing the door on Norris in what was adjudicated by the stewards to be outside the rules, the real dramas came much later in the year.

Having suffered in Baku, another street circuit where the RB20 refused to perform, Verstappen was explaining his difficulties the following weekend in the FIA approved Thursday drivers’ press conference. Max used an expletive which caused the stewards to make an example of him by punishing him with community service and not the regular fine.

This appeared to fire up the world champion who was now seven weekends without a Grand Prix win and McLaren’s Lando Norris was closing down Verstappen’s the lead in the drivers’ title race.

FIA important update on Cadillac

 

 

 

The Norris/Verstappen battle heats up

Whilst Singapore – street circuit – was another poor weekend for Verstappen matters came to a head at the USGP in Austin, Texas. Having dulled for lap after lap with Norris, the McLaren driver attempted another overtake along the long back straight which leads to turn twelve.

Knowing the regulations like the back of his hand, Verstappen dived for the apex of the turn by braking later than Norris and by being ahead at this arbitrary point on the circuit, Max earned the “right to the corner.”

Under the stewarding guidelines issued by the FIA, this move meant Max could not be penalised for leaving the circuit on exit. This the did taking Norris with him and whilst the cars did not touch, the McLaren driver kept his foot and and made the overtake off track.

Of course Lando was punished, but the paddock talk was all about driving standards and whether Verstappen’s moves were within the rules or even the spirit of racing. Driver steward Johnny Herbert became embroiled in a shouting match between himself and the Verstappen’s when he chose to put on his pundits hat to discuss the driving standards of the world champion.

Brundle attacks Verstappen

 

 

 

F1 stewarding controversies

Come Mexico and Max was again involved in an on track battle with his McLaren rival. The stewards handed out what appeared to be a rather draconian twenty seconds of penalties to the Red Bull driver, something a number of paddock voices believed was in part due to his actions a week earlier in Austin.

Herbert described Verstappen’s mindset in Austin as “horrible”. Something the Verstappen’s were quick t reposed to. Jos was blunt in his response: “I think a steward shouldn’t talk to the press at all.” The bickering between the parties continued on and off almost to the end of the year and the Verstappen’s may well have been hoping, Herbert would be replaced on the FIA stewarding panel for 2025.

Today the news breaks that Johnny Herbert will continue his role this season as a driver stewards beginning with the season opener in Melbourne, Australia. Herbert looks forward to the season ahead speaking to casinooutanspelpaus.io he reflects on the task ahead together with the issue of Max.

“There are still going to be incidents [in Australia], there are still going to be complaints from teams and drivers and we’re going to have to deal with that as normal,” said Herbert somewhat stating the obvious. The in almost a contradictory statement, he compares racing rules to his karting days.

Ferrari’s deadline for Hamilton

 

 

 

Herbert contradicts himself

“The way that the racing rules have gone, it’s made it more as racing was when we were doing karting. I know George Russell mentioned that, it was crazy, this apex stuff and now we’ve given space on the exits.

“We never did that in karting, that was never part of it. And I never accepted this giving space.” Well which was it Johnny? Are the F1 rules moving towards karting or was it “we never did that in karting?”

In terms of Verstappen’s approach to racing and his pursuit of a fifth world title, Herbert accepts that aggression is part of his racing instincts. “I think from Max Verstappen’s point of view, yes, aggression is always going to be part of what he does but he’s still improving his racing skills, qualifying skills and he’s still got plenty in his back pocket if he ever needs it,” said Herbert.

Red bull junior driver upsetting the mix

 

 

 

‘Verstappen can be even better’

“Does Verstappen need a teammate that will push him a little bit more? Well, that’s where Liam Lawson [2025 Red Bull teammate] has now got to shine as well, in that very difficult situation of being up against one of the world’s best at the moment, probably one of the greatest ever.”

Herbert accepts that a team mate pushing Verstappen to higher levels for the first time since his time alongside Daniel Ricciardo, may have a detrimental affect on the rest of the field. “If he does reach that next level, that’s where everything changes,” concluded the ex-F1 driver.

Whilst Herbert returning for another season as an FIA steward will irritate the Verstappen’s, Max knows he has bigger fish to fry than debate publicly with a driver clearly from yesteryear and who fails to differentiate properly between his role as an FIA official and that as a self appointed pundit of the sport.

Marko dismisses Ferrari and Hamilton

 

 

 

Race ban looms for Verstappen

If Max Verstappen gets involved in any more disputes with the stewards this season – as he did with Johnny Herbert in 2024 – it could have serious consequences for his championship campaign. Verstappen carries over a precarious number of penalty points from last season, putting him dangerously close to the threshold for a race ban.

With the FIA closely monitoring driving standards, even a single incident at the start of the 2025 season could result in a suspension, jeopardising his bid for a fifth world title. This looming threat makes it imperative that Verstappen tread carefully in his interactions both on and off the track, as any misstep could significantly impact his chances in what is expected to be another fiercely contested season.

 

 

 

Newey speaks of 2026 F1 domination

Adrian Newey is an enigmatic character and like all geniuses requires a certain degree of management. His early life in Formula One whilst it brought much success, saw the aerodynamic guru take issue with the team management over various issues like reporting structures, with the result being he would leave.

This makes his nineteen year tenure at Red Bull Racing even more remarkable, yet in the end it was this very careful management of their star asset which cause Newey to decide the time was right rot move on.

There were various claims last year, that Newey’s decision was influenced by the allegations made against team principal Christian Horner of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female  employee in Milton Keynes. Yet Horner was completely exonerated at both investigation stage and following the employee’s legal appeal and to characterise Newey as some moral prude would be laughable given the nature of his frequent visits to the public bar at Goodwood during the various historic motorsport events held at the estate each year… READ MORE