Herbert: Totally agree with Rosberg, Verstappen deserved a black flag
F1 NewsWednesday, 04 June 2025 at 13:51
Former FIA Formula 1 Steward Johnny Herbert would've called for stronger penalties after Max Verstappen's controversial collision with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, arguing the reigning World Champion should have been disqualified for deliberate contact.
The clash occurred on Lap 42 at Turn 1, when Verstappen, recovering on hard tyres, nudged Russell’s Mercedes while retaking the position he had earlier relinquished. Although the stewards issued a 10-second penalty, Herbert said that was insufficient given the nature of the incident. He was not alone, as our 2016 F1 World Champion thought so too.
Nico Rosberg, commentating for Sky F1 in Barcelona this past weekend, immediately called it a Verstappen's lunge as a "black flag" move. Later, the 2016 World Champ doubled down and said: "It looked like a very intentional retaliation. Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn 1.
"That's something which is extremely unacceptable and I think the rules would be a black flag yes. If you wait for your opponent to bang into him, that's a black flag," insisted Rosberg.
Herbert said, “Yes, I totally agree with Nico, Max Verstappen deserved a black flag and should have been disqualified. There’s a point where you have to be hard on the driver when there have been many of these types of incidents. Verstappen is the best driver on the track, with the best racecraft and judgement, but there is always a story with him.”
“It was clear as day that Verstappen’s move on George Russell was on purpose. He backed out at the right corner, where he could then attack and retake the place by driving into Russell. To me, that’s overstepping the mark," explained Herbert.
The FIA must stamp this out with harsher penalties
Referencing Verstappen’s cleaner moves earlier this season, Herbert added: “The move he made in Imola made me go ‘wow’, then the move he made in Spain takes away that ‘wow’, it totally disappears and it’s frustrating. Verstappen doesn’t need to make these moves. The wheel banging is probably to make a point because of what happened at Turn 1 on the restart with Russell.”
Herbert warned: “A black flag is something that could have been thought of by the stewards and the race director. You have to stop this wheel-banging type of racing. Anyone can go and crash into another car, it’s totally wrong to purposely bang into a fellow driver.”
Referencing historical cases of intentional collisions, Herbert said: “It’s happened with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, with Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, and with Jacques Villeneuve too. In the 1997 incident, Schumacher was banned for the season."
Russell was racing fairly, we must not discourage overtaking
Back to the discussion regarding the current incident, Herbert continued: "That collision overstepped the mark. I don’t want to see it, nor do the drivers. It can’t just be a 10-second penalty, otherwise you’re treating it like any other racing incident.”
Herbert came to Russell’s defence: “It was George Russell’s corner, he was down the inside of Max Verstappen. What Russell did was totally and utterly fair and racey. When you’re fully up the inside, it is your corner. I can’t see how Russell did anything wrong.”
Herbert added: “We can’t criticise Russell for trying to race, otherwise we’re killing the overtaker. When you lose a corner, you have to slot in behind the car you’re racing.”
Verstappen eventually finished P6 in Barcelona, with Red Bull’s tyre strategy again under scrutiny. The Dutchman struggled after switching to the hard compound, unable to match the pace of McLaren and Ferrari rivals.
Herbert observed: “I know Red Bull said the fresh hards were their only choice, but the hards didn’t seem like the right call. They were always going to be hard work for Verstappen with zero grip.”
Red Bull not in harmony strategy misfires and rising pressure
He also observed: “Red Bull are not as strong as they were. McLaren have done a better job. Other teams have technology that makes them capable of catching up. It didn’t work in Barcelona, but it worked out for them in Imola.”
Commenting on Red Bull’s internal turbulence, Herbert added: “Are the little goings-on behind the scenes preventing the team from going forward? Adrian Newey left, there was the issue with Christian Horner, Jos Verstappen is very vocal. It’s not the perfect harmony it once was.”
With the championship picture tightening, Herbert warned Verstappen to be more measured as he continues to chase McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris: “You’ve got to think about the penalty point situation. Max Verstappen is the smartest driver on the track, but now he must be a smart racer.
"For years, Verstappen has been the chased, but now he’s the chaser. Those little moments of aggression will have to be controlled," Herbert ventured.
Verstappen knew the ‘Mario Kart move’ was wrong
Herbert praised Sky F1’s Rachel Brookes for her post-race interview with Verstappen: “Rachel Brookes questioned Max brilliantly. She really tried pushing all the buttons and Verstappen didn’t really respond, but it was telling at the same time. Well done, Rachel. Then we find out Verstappen admitted he was in the wrong, so during that interview, he knew in his gut he was in the wrong.”
Even Lando Norris, close friend and rival, acknowledged the absurdity of the contact. Herbert said: “Lando seemed embarrassed or didn’t want to comment because it was too awkward. As Norris said, the collision was something you’d see in Mario Kart – now that says a lot.”
“I’ve squeezed drivers to the edge, but I’ve never driven into anyone on purpose. I don’t know many drivers who have done that. These collisions should be kept on the computer screen. I had hoped those days were gone.”
Herbert closed by reminding fans of Formula 1’s darker moments: “We don’t want the dirty part of racing. I go back to 1994 – Damon Hill was robbed by Schumacher. That wasn’t fair. Is that a pure way of winning the championship? No, it’s not.”
“I want all the drivers to be pushed to the absolute maximum. The move George Russell made was damn good – a move you’d expect from Verstappen. Now, the drivers are up for the challenge and Verstappen is being attacked more often.”
Herbert concluded: “We’ll continue to see the McLarens and Verstappen competing for wins, but you can throw in the likes of Russell and Leclerc. They can take points off Norris, Piastri and Verstappen. I hope we see the best pure race driver come out on top.”
(Quotes supplied by RoobetAlternatives)
Did Max Verstappen deserve a black flag for his actions during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix?
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