Herbert understands Verstappen's Sky boycott: "There's always a chance something like this happens"

Johnny Herbert understood why Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing boycotted Sky Sports F1 during the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix. Reporter Ted Kravitz had said that Verstappen had stolen the title from Lewis Hamilton and that the Dutchman couldn't win the championship in a normal way.

As a result, Verstappen and Red Bull opted to boycott the channel and not speak to them for the weekend. Herbert, who did not have his expiring contract with Sky renewed, said that this was not new. "I was always free to say what I wanted, but if I spoke about a team in a certain way, then they got a little upset," the former F1 driver told Express.

"When they get upset, there's always a chance you'll get something like what we saw happen with Max. Oh, we're not going to talk to you because you said this and that. That's where you sometimes have to be careful," said the Englishman, who understands the reasoning behind the decision. "During racing, I remember sometimes things were said that upset you, and then you wouldn't speak to that journalist for a few races or longer."

Herbert: "I always thought I was very outspoken about certain issues"

On the other hand, Herbert regrets the situation. "I understand if it is a team decision, but at the same time, I also believe that you should be as outspoken as you want." That's why Herbert found it odd when his contract with Sky wasn't renewed. "I always thought I was very outspoken about certain things. I never backed away from any topic. Some people didn't want to upset a certain person within a team because they had some sort of relationship. And you think that it shouldn't be about that relationship, but about what you see and hear from fans."