Villeneuve: Not Herbert's fault the F1 rules are badly written

Ex-F1 driver and Grand Prix winner Herbert has become an off-mainstream pundit which we often use on GRANDPRIX247. as he provides insights into decisions made at the highest level of F1 officiating thanks to his role as a FIA appointed F1 Steward who is clearly allowed to air his opinions.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, Verstappen senior directed a barb at Herbert who has officiated GPs regularly this year: “The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest. From former drivers, for example, who have more sympathy for certain drivers or [teams].”

Speaking to the media team at Grosvenor Sport, 1997 F1 World Champion Villeneuve chimed in on his version of the war of words between Herbert and Max Verstappen's father Jos: “I didn’t see anything bad from Herbert and as far as I can see the rules were followed in Mexico.

“They do the marshalling for free so [Jos Verstappen] cannot ask a pundit to give up his job to do something for nothing. You won't have any marshals! Either you have paid marshals, and they do that as a full-time job as in most other sports.

“Or you will always have an issue. It's not always easy to be fully neutral. It’s that simple. But the rules are badly written, that's the first issue," insisted JV, who believes the F1 rules also cost Lando Norris dear in his title chase.

The 53-year-old Canadian is the son of F1 and Ferrari legend Gilles Villeneuve, but his father died while qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Jacques was not even a teen and does not have insight into fathers helping their sons as Michael Schumacher reportedly did with his son Mick.

And nothing like what Jos did for Max Verstappen. Namely, sacrificed his own racing career to steer his son through karting and ultimately into F1 in record-breaking time and style.

Villeneuve weighed in on the subject: “I can't relate to Michael Schumacher helping his son [Mick] in the racing part because my dad died when I was 11. I can relate to what I learned growing up: the approach to the risk and danger, the respect to competitors and so on which had an effect on who I was growing up and who I was as a racer.

“The effect that Jos had on Max was quite clear. Because he was fully hands-on. But we don't know that much about the Schumachers. So it's very hard to say so. You just have to take Mick’s word that he learnt valuable lessons from his father as a youngster] for it. But I wouldn't know because we don't know the story," reckoned Villeneuve.

Michael Schumacher has not been seen publically since his life-altering skiing accident on 29 December 2013, near Méribel in the French Alps. Mick was 14 years old at the time. The family have kept the F1 legend's condition strictly private since then.