Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has detailed the death threats he has received over a penalty handed to Fernando Alonso at last month’s Australian Grand Prix.
Mercedes’ George Russell crashed out of the race at Albert Park in the final moments, losing control chasing Alonso and making heavy contact with a wall on his second-last lap, costing him seventh place.
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Aston Martin driver Alonso was handed a 20-second drive-through sanction by the stewards, which included Herbert, for brake-testing Russell.
The official report stated: “In the opinion of the stewards by doing these things, (Alonso) drove in a manner that was at very least ‘potentially dangerous’ given the very high speed nature of that point of the track.”
The penalty dropped the Spanish veteran from sixth to eighth place and Herbert has since been singled out on social media in sickening fashion.
“I was a steward at the Melbourne GP and the repercussions were awful,” Herbert told website Fastest Payout Online Casino.
“I got a torrent of death threats via social media. I am lucky I have got broad shoulders.
“I find it pathetic that I was the one thrown under the bus.”
Herbert explained that he was one of four stewards that had all discussed the incident before handing the penalty to Alonso.
“We had already seen data and analysed it along with the teams’ own data. So we are very aware of what has happened before they come into the room,” Herbert continued.
“It was so black and white there was no way there was any mitigation.”
Some of the threats that came Herbert’s way were confronting for the 59-year-old, who spent 12 years as an F1 driver.
The Brit won three races in his career and finished a career-best fourth in the 1995 season alongside Michael Schumacher with Benetton.
“There were messages with dagger emojis at the bottom of the screen; people saying we know where you live, we will come for you,” he said.
“Most of them were Spanish. They should have understood because it was so clear how and why the decision was arrived at in the statement that was put out.
“People were also saying because I had never been a world champion I was not qualified to have a say in it.
“It has not put me off stewarding. It’s all part and parcel of it unfortunately.”
Herbert then explained that he had history with the Spaniard, dating back to Alonso’s days with McLaren.
The Essex-born Herbert, who won the 1991 Le Mans 24 hour race, spent a decade as a regular contributor to the Sky Sports F1 channel.
It was in that role that he became involved in an on-air spat with the Spaniard.
“When he was with McLaren, Alonso had been on the radio slagging off the engine almost every race saying it was like a GP 2 engine. He was really vocal,” Herbert explained.
“I was working for Sky and said if Alonso didn’t like it he should leave the team. I didn’t say retire.
“Then (two years ago) he came up to me live on air in Bahrain and had a dig at me saying he was a world champion and would not retire and become a commentator because you were not a world champion.
“The fans then used that as a weapon against me after Australia.”
Herbert expressed his opinion that Alonso, who he called “a really pleasant man” since his stint in the IndyCar series in 2019-20, would be embarrassed by the fallout.
“The threats lasted for two weeks and still are coming,” he said.
“It is part of the social media world where everyone has an opinion but don’t have the facts to back it up.
“Those platforms should be on top of it. But they are not. They allow it to happen.
“When it does happen, action should be taken. Something has to be done about it. But I never hear anything being done.
“They are not true F1 fans and I am sure Fernando would be embarrassed if he knew that his fans were doing that.”
News.com.au has contacted the Aston Martin F1 team for comment.
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