Johnny Herbert warns F1 in danger as Max Verstappen threatens Austrian GP repeat

01 July 2023 , 01:00

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Max Verstappen is primed for another win after taking pole for the Austrian GP (Image: AP)

Johnny Herbert has warned Formula 1 fans could lose interest in the sport if Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team continue to dominate unchallenged.

The RB19's are head and shoulders above the rest of the cars on the grid in terms of performance this year. So significant is their advantage that the team has already switched development focus to their car for the 2024 season.

Red Bull are already 154 points clear of their nearest rivals in the constructors' standings. Verstappen has been responsible for six of their eight wins so far – team-mate Sergio Perez taking victory in the other two – and is on pole for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.

There have been plenty of exciting on-track battles further down the order this season. But there have been few, if any, genuine challenges for the lead against the Red Bulls.

And former Sky Sports pundit Herbert has warned that it could cause scores of fans around the world to lose interest in the sport. "There is a threat that people might turn off because it is predictable and Red Bull's domination could be a problem," he told OLBG.

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"It is not what I want. I want others to have that chance to take it to Verstappen. We are not seeing that. There is always that being predictable could lead people to switch off.

"If you look at the Netflix and America coming on board we have had a couple of years where we have had a fight on our hands. Ferrari were in the mix last year but then it went awry. This year Red Bull are in complete control."

Johnny Herbert is concerned that fans will lose interest in F1 if Verstappen and Red Bull keep winning every weekend (Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton has been unable to fight with his old title rival Verstappen so far this year. Mercedes have made some progress and hope to be in contention by the end of this year, but the seven-time world champion has warned that Red Bull will most likely dominate F1 for many years to come unless the sport's lawmakers step in.

He said: "They don't have to make any changes to this year's car any more because they're so far ahead, just cruising 100 points ahead of us. I think the FIA should put a time when everyone is allowed to start development on their next car."

Hamilton's call for the governing body to get involved did not go down well with Verstappen, who simply responded by saying: "Life is unfair." In a second interview, he elaborated: "We weren't talking about that when he was winning his championships, right? So, I don't think we should now. That's how Formula One works."

Daniel Moxon