Jacques Villeneuve has responded to Jos Verstappen by suggesting that FIA stewards should not be allowed to speak to the media.

After Jos Verstappen called on FIA stewards not to speak to the press, Jacques Villeneuve threw cold water on the suggestion.

Jos Verstappen calls on stewards to stop talking to the media

Following the Mexico Grand Prix, in which Johnny Herbert participated in the FIA ​​steering committee which handed the Dutch driver two separate 10-second penalties for two incidents with title rival Lando Norris, the FIA ​​commissioner s He came to the media via an interview with a gambling site in which he outlined his personal feelings regarding Verstappen’s mentality and approach to racing.

This sparked a huge wave of controversy, given that Herbert’s duties during a race weekend are representative of the governing body’s demand for fair and balanced judging – Herbert’s frank expression of his personal feelings about the conduct of the reigning world champion seems to contradict this need for neutrality.

With Herbert speaking in the interview as an expert rather than an FIA commissioner, it highlighted the blurred lines between these positions – not that Verstappen cared about that, as he suggested more later than Herbert – among other British experts – was. showing signs of bias.

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This led to his father Jos getting involved, with Verstappen senior admitting his son had gone “too far” in his battle with Norris during their battle at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but said FIA stewards should not not be allowed to express their personal opinions via the press. .

“I thought Max also went too far the second time in Mexico,” Verstappen said. Viaplay.

“I think he feels the same way now. I can also just tell him this honestly. I think you have to be open and honest.

“I think a steward should not talk to the press at all and do constant work. And that is certainly not the case today. »

His comments came shortly after he expressed concerns about a “conflict of interest” regarding the selection of driver stewards on the FIA ​​steering committee during a given race weekend, according to a Dutch publication . De Telegraaf suggesting his comments were linked to the appointments of Herbert and Tim Mayer – sons of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer – who make up half of the four-member committee in Mexico.

“Max is not going to change his driving style because there were now a few stewards present who don’t like him anyway,” Verstappen said.

“The FIA ​​should carefully consider the composition of the stewards’ staff, who is placed there, and whether there is any appearance of a conflict of interest.

“From former drivers, for example, who have more sympathy for certain drivers or (teams).”

Jacques Villeneuve: It’s not easy to be totally neutral

Given the small pool of former drivers interested in acting as stewards, an expenses-only weekend position, cutting off their experts’ sources of income would make the role even more unpleasant, Jacques Villeneuve believes.

The 1997 F1 world champion was speaking in an interview with Grosvenor Sportsin which he mocked Verstappen’s suggestion that stewards should not be allowed to speak to the media.

“I didn’t see anything wrong on Herbert’s part and as far as I know the rules were followed in Mexico,” he said.

“They do the triage for free, so (Jos Verstappen) can’t ask an expert to give up his job to do something for nothing.

“You will have no marshals!” Either you have paid commissioners, and they do this full time, like in most other sports.

“Or you’ll always have a problem. It is not always easy to be completely neutral. It’s that simple. But the rules are poorly written, that’s the first problem.”

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