Johnny Herbert has openly disclosed that he faced death threats following his involvement on the stewarding panel that penalized Fernando Alonso during the Australian Grand Prix. Alonso was penalized for his role in a last-lap crash involving George Russell, although Alonso’s Aston Martin did not make direct contact with Russell’s Mercedes. Herbert, a former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit played a role in the decision to penalize Alonso with a 20-second penalty, causing him to drop to eighth place behind Yuki Tsunoda.
Herbert, aged 59, has spoken out about the abuse he endured after the Melbourne race. “I was a steward at the Melbourne GP, and the aftermath was dreadful,” he stated. “I received a barrage of death threats on social media.”
Herbert believes that his high profile made him a target, unlike his fellow penal panel members. “I am fortunate to have thick skin,” he added. “I find it disappointing that I was singled out.”
The three-time F1 race winner suggests that fans of Alonso directed their anger towards him, stemming from a previous incident in 2022 when Alonso confronted him on live television during his time with McLaren. “It goes back to Bahrain two years ago,” Herbert explained. “Alonso had been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the engine, and I suggested that if he didn’t like it, he should leave the team. Then he confronted me live on air in Bahrain, which the fans later used against me after Australia.”
Herbert revealed that most of the threats were in Spanish and included dagger emojis and warnings of knowing his whereabouts. Despite vowing to brush off the threats and continue his work with the FIA, he called for social media platforms to take more proactive measures to combat online abuse.
“The threats persisted for two weeks and are ongoing,” he noted. “It’s become too common for athletes and officials in various sports to face death threats. Social media platforms should be more vigilant, but they allow it to happen. I don’t understand why they claim they can’t stop it. They need to take action.”
