Max Verstappen may have finished second at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but the post-race spotlight was firmly on his attitude rather than his performance on track. Former F1 driver and commentator Johnny Herbert didn’t hold back in criticizing the reigning champion, calling his podium behavior “unprofessional and disrespectful.”
The controversy began with a lap-one incident between Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Turn One in Jeddah. Verstappen, who started on pole, clashed with Piastri and was handed a five-second penalty by race stewards. That penalty ultimately cost him the race win, as he crossed the line behind the Australian rising star.
Visibly irritated after the race, Verstappen dodged direct questions from interviewer David Coulthard and noticeably abstained from celebrating during the customary champagne spray on the podium. While Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished third, engaged in the bubbly tradition, Verstappen stood back, sipping his drink without much interaction.
Herbert, a three-time Grand Prix winner, didn’t mince words in response. “I saw Max drink the champagne on the podium and not really celebrate with Oscar or Charles – it comes across as unprofessional and disrespectful, from a four-time world champion,” he said. “You have to be gracious in defeat sometimes.”
The 60-year-old also argued that the five-second penalty was too lenient. “It should have been 10 seconds,” Herbert insisted. “It was a definite penalty, because when you go into any corner, especially a tight one like that, you’ve got to be near the curb. Max was two meters off the apex.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, however, defended his driver, suggesting Verstappen was “ahead at the apex” and should not have been penalized. Herbert wasn’t buying it. “That’s a load of baloney. Red Bull had the chance to give the place back and they chose not to. Instead, they tried to pass the buck to the FIA and the stewards.”
Interestingly, Red Bull ultimately decided not to appeal the penalty, suggesting perhaps some quiet acknowledgment of fault – or at least a desire to move on.
The exchange reignites ongoing tension between Herbert and the Verstappen camp. Herbert was dropped as an F1 race steward earlier this year after public criticism from Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, who slammed the Brit for his media comments while serving as a race official. The FIA later cited “incompatibility” between Herbert’s dual roles as the reason for his removal.
Despite the controversy, Verstappen remains a dominant force on the track. But questions about his sportsmanship—and how he handles defeat—are now once again in the headlines.
The F1 circus now heads to the United States for the Miami Grand Prix from May 2–4. All eyes will be on how Verstappen responds—not just behind the wheel, but also on the podium.
