General
Herbert's exit from the FIA: This was very remarkable about the decision
- Ludo van Denderen
Johnny Herbert was originally appointed as a steward for the Australian Grand Prix, but his tenure at the FIA has now come to an end. Given the controversy surrounding him, this was not entirely unexpected. But there was also something remarkable about it at first glance.
Fortunately for Johnny Herbert, he is already back in the fold after leaving his FIA Steward role. On Thursday morning, Lola announced that the Briton has become an ambassador for the Formula E team, so Herbert will still be seen plenty on international circuits. Will he also be seen in the F1 paddock?
That remains to be seen, as he is no longer a steward and has no work with FIA-accredited media. As is well known, Herbert was sidelined some time ago by Sky Sports, where he was one of the analysts for many years. Since then, although he acted as an analyst, he did so for various betting sites - for a fee, of course.
Could Herbert have stayed on as a steward?
It was precisely his appearances for said websites that made the FIA decide to part ways with Herbert, as the two roles were found to be incompatible. However, the official message from the motorsport federation stated that the decision had been made by mutual agreement following talks between both parties.
It is therefore quite possible that Herbert was given the choice: steward or analyst? In that case, it seems Herbert decided he would rather work as an analyst (paid work) than continue his FIA duties. It is important to note that stewarding is not a paid position.
No doubt more clarity on this will come soon, as his first interview about his departure from the FIA will surely not take too long to come - as international media eagerly await the British former-driver's words.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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