FIA steward Herbert is clear: 'Verstappen acted on purpose, he intimidates'

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, now a steward at the FIA, was partly responsible for the decision to give Max Verstappen a 10-second time penalty for the crash with Lando Norris in Austria. Herbert explains how that decision came about.

Herbert saw intent in Verstappen: 'He intimidates'

As far as Herbert is concerned, there should be no doubt who was responsible for the incident. " It was Max’s fault. He is a hard racer. He is very, very hard to beat. He intimidates everybody. That intimidation is something that Lewis. Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna, have always done," he indicates in his column for Coin Poker.

According to Herbert, the only way to beat Verstappen is to put up a fight and not back down. "Lando did the right thing. He did not move. He did not have to. Some people said he could have moved. But that is not how you beat Max or how you win the Grand Prix," he judged.

Herbert does not think Verstappen should change

" It is deliberate which is why I use the word intimidation where he goes to the very limits without getting himself in trouble. But he has always had this in his history. Everyone has been reminded just what is in Max’s makeup. Is he going to change? No. That is not his way. And he is right not to," the 60-year-old Briton says firmly. "I think he needs slightly to temper it."

Herbert, therefore, does not expect anything to change in the Dutchman's mindset or approach. " Probably not. It will not change the way he goes racing. No driver before, like Michael Schumacher, never changed their approach. And I don’t want him to. I find it really exciting. It is just when he gets to that point, he can only blame him," Herbert said.