Johnny Herbert: Max Verstappen was right to fight over broken 2026 Formula 1 rules
F1 Drivers NewsWednesday, 20 May 2026 at 13:10
Max Verstappen’s increasingly public frustration with Formula 1’s controversial 2026 regulations was never a genuine threat to walk away from the sport but rather a warning, according Johnny Herbert.
Former Grand Prix winner turned F1 pundit, Herbert believes the Red Bull driver was instead forcing Formula 1 and the FIA to listen to the people who matter most: the drivers.
The debate around the new era of Formula 1 has intensified throughout 2026 as drivers continue to criticise excessive energy management, lift and coast racing, artificial deployment tactics and cars many believe no longer reward instinctive flat out driving.
Miami became a turning point in that discussion after several leading drivers openly questioned the direction of the sport. Verstappen was among the loudest critics as Formula 1’s new generation of cars again exposed the frustrations surrounding battery harvesting and energy limitations.
Herbert believes Verstappen’s warnings about his future were tactical: “There was a lot of stoking it up on Max’s part. When he said he was going to reflect on what he was going to do, that was within F1 not outside it in my opinion.
“You're never going to walk away from this sport because they are still the very best race cars out there. It's still probably the biggest thrill you're going to get out of driving. We're getting much closer to having a normal race car, which means Max will be in a better mindset .
"He'll be feeling with at least, they're changing it at least they're making it better and at least they're making it more exciting. And if they make it more exciting, he’ll be thinking, ‘I won't be going anywhere.' I hope he doesn't!”
Verstappen forced Formula 1 to listen
The FIA has already begun reacting to the criticism after introducing adjustments aimed at reducing dangerous harvesting situations and improving raceability following complaints from drivers during the opening rounds.
Verstappen’s stance has been echoed by several rivals including Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso, all of whom questioned whether the current regulations deliver the kind of racing fans expect from Formula 1.
Herbert believes Verstappen was deliberately applying pressure: “He’s playing a game and I totally understand that. He’s playing with the teams, playing with Formula 1, the FIA saying I'm leaving because the cars are not what I want the cars to be.
“That’s why it's important if someone like Lewis or Max was on a committee being part of the decision-making process, I think the drivers would have a very positive impact on what happens down the line. Max and all the drivers want a car that tests them. Cars at the moment don’t test them and that’s why they are frustrated.”
The concerns from drivers have centred around Formula 1 moving too far away from pure racing in pursuit of efficiency targets. Drivers have repeatedly complained that modern races involve too much management and too little attacking.
Drivers are gladiators and Formula 1 must not forget it
Herbert agrees: “I get it. Sometimes the drivers have just got to get on with it and do the job that they're employed to do. Through the years that I've been involved with Formula 1 there's been many rule changes; some have been good, some have been not so good.
“It's still not that flat out racing that I think everybody expects. But at least the drivers were being really tested in Miami because they were having to think for themselves," ventured the three time Grand Prix winner.
While FIA single seater director Nikolas Tombazis recently warned Formula 1 cannot allow itself to be “held to ransom” by teams, Herbert believes drivers must remain central to shaping the future of the sport.
He said: “I’m glad Max has been highlighting the issues because I think it's important that drivers do have a say. Even Lewis Hamilton has said that the drivers need to have a space in talks with the teams and the FIA. It should be part of the modern thinking from FIA, from the teams to have an input from the drivers as well.
"The drivers ultimately are the ones who have the final say. When Max does come out, and it wasn't just Max, we had Lando and Fernando saying things too, they tried to push it aside and almost told ‘Enough is enough.’ But sometimes you do need them to stand up and say it's wrong. Because it was wrong.”
Can Max Verstappen afford to leave Formula 1 abruptly?
Herbert argued that Formula 1 risks forgetting why fans connect emotionally with the sport in the first place: “But the issues were only being raised by the drivers. I think he should do what he's done. But now he should sort of say, right, I've done my bit.
“But if it doesn't change, they just need to remind everybody that the driving is still the most important thing. When the race fan goes through a race weekend, they're 99 % cheering for the drivers. The drivers are very important.
“They're the gladiators. If they're a gladiator, they need to be tested like a gladiator. Drivers should be the ones who should have a voice.
"It is very important what the drivers think and say what it's not just about. I know Nicholas Tombazis said F1 shouldn't be held to ransom by the teams. In many respects that is true because you don't always want to steer the sport in a direction that the teams want.
"You want to steer it in a direction that is going to be better for Formula 1, better for the drivers and fundamentally better for the fans watching it. We should not forget that the race fan is the one who wants to be wowed by these drivers on the racetrack," Herbert concluded.
The reality for Verstappen, is that a departure any time soon from Formula 1 will cost the Dutchman an estmated $200-$300-million depending on who you believe. Whatever the case it will be substantial, and perhaps the biggest handbreak on ditching the sport at the highest level, to race other series.
(Johnny Herbert quotes supplied by Jackpot City Casino)
(Johnny Herbert quotes supplied by Jackpot City Casino)
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