Lando Norris and Max Verstappen took their battle right to the limit last season, prompting Formula 1 to rewrite the racing rulebook in 2025, but Johnny Herbert says it won’t change a thing.
Ever since F1’s hugely controversial 2021 season, when Verstappen clinched his first F1 title, his driving style has been under the spotlight, with critics accusing him of being overly aggressive while some might say he was just making the most out of the wording of the rules.
Fast-forward to the 2024 United States Grand Prix, and the issue reared its head once again, with the Dutchman stretching the rules to defend against Norris, who was penalized for overtaking off-circuit.
With defending off-track already outlawed, the decision to punish Norris caused confusion among F1's drivers, who demanded greater clarity on what’s allowed wheel-to-wheel. Verstappen was the penalized driver in Mexico City after a similar altercation with Norris.
In response, it was announced that new guidelines would be issued for 2025, and though there’s been no direct mention of Verstappen, it’s understood they’re designed to prevent a repeat of what happened in Austin.
However, Johnny Herbert, who will be a steward at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, expects the rules to change very little – if anything, allowing for a more aggressive ‘kart racing’ style.
“There are still going to be incidents, there are still going to be complaints from teams and drivers,” Herbert claimed.
“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.
“You have to take that space… if the other driver is not quite there, then he backs out, that's racing. It’s not a rule that says ‘Oh no, you can't do that,’ you've got to earn it. The difference we have from last year to this year with the racing is the racing rules," the former F1 driver explained.
More fireworks ahead in this year’s title battle?
Heading into the 2025 season, Herbert doesn’t see the new guidelines impacting Verstappen’s driving style either, with some changes even designed to reign-in stewarding, rather than regulate overtaking.
“The best drivers will shine more with the new rules,” he continued. “We all saw the crazy apex rules and penalties in Mexico, for example. I think it'll be a slightly different season.
“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, [his] qualifying skills."
With McLaren the faster package for the second half of the 2024 F1 and Lewis Hamilton’s move to a competitive-looking Ferrari, Verstappen has a real fight on his hands as he defends his title in 2025.
With McLaren the faster package for the second half of the 2024 F1 and Lewis Hamilton’s move to a competitive-looking Ferrari, Verstappen has a real fight on his hands as he defends his title in 2025.
But Herbert remains confident that the four-time world champion has “still got plenty in his back pocket,” should he need to push even harder to retain his drivers’ crown.
Herbert: Lawson could make Max even better
Describing Verstappen as “probably one of the greatest ever,” Herbert believes new Red Bull recruit Liam Lawson will have a tough time keeping up with his more established teammate.
Predecessor Sergio Perez started well, earning the nickname "Minister of Defense” for his role at Abu Dhabi 2021, but he was later replaced after finishing 285 points behind Verstappen, and costing Red Bull the 2024 constructors’ title.
To avoid suffering a similar fate and joining the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Daniil Kvyat in getting dropped by the team, Herbert says “Lawson has now got to shine” and, if possible, push Verstappen to perform even better.
If the Kiwi does manage to build on the impressive results he achieved at VCARB, Herbert says this could make F1’s reigning champion even more difficult to beat for the chasing pack.
"It will only be a positive thing for Verstappen to have a teammate that will push him and what that will do, unfortunately for everybody else, is move Verstappen to another level,” he added. “If he does reach that next level, that's where everything changes.”
(Quotes supplied by Casinoutanspelpaus.io)
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