Former FIA steward Johnny Herbert has finally opened up on his true feelings about Dutch F1 champion Max Verstappen.

Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 campaign. However, his deal is reported to contain exit clauses that would allow the 27-year-old to explore other options if Christian Horner ’s team cannot provide him with machinery capable of adding a fifth Drivers’ Championship title to his collection this year.

Johnny Herbert has spoken out for the first time since being sacked as an FIA steward, and he hasn’t minced words about “certain people” he feels had an impact on his firing. Namely, Herbert is discussing allegations of bias that were lobbed his way by the Verstappen family during a contentious 2024 season that saw the Dutch driver go head-to-head with Briton Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but the Dutchman could be tempted to leave the team early.

Johnny Herbert, the former Formula 1 steward, predicts that Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull Racing in the not-too-distant future. According to the Brit, the Dutchman is likely to make a switch to Aston Martin.

Max Verstappen’s future with Red Bull has been scrutinised over the past 12 months and Aston Martin have previously been speculated to be ready to launch a major offer to the world champion