Johnny Herbert explains tense Sky F1 confrontation with Fernando Alonso

Johnny Herbert, the former Sky F1 pundit, reflected on his awkward, live-on-air interaction with Fernando Alonso back in Bahrain 2016.

Alonso, then a McLaren driver, had told Herbert that he would not be retiring, before telling him that he was not a “champion”, and therefore ended up as a commentator. Herbert suggested that his use of the word “toxic”, relating to Alonso’s ‘GP2 engine’ outburst, was the actual root cause of Alonso’s disgruntlement towards him. He also recalled a Silverstone 2024 exchange between the two, their relationship remaining “awkward”.

Herbert recalls Fernando Alonso Bahrain and Silverstone incidents

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Herbert, a Sky F1 pundit at the time, was infamously confronted by Alonso, the two-time World Champion, in Bahrain back in 2016. In that era, McLaren had been struggling for results as their Honda reunion between 2015-17 failed to deliver.

A notable low point arrived at the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix, a home race for Honda, where Alonso spoke of a ‘GP2 engine’ over team radio.

Appearing on the Stay on Track podcast, Herbert was asked about the confrontation with Alonso which followed at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, one which Herbert believes can be traced back initially to his reaction to Alonso’s ‘GP2 engine’ outburst.

“You ended up as a commentator because you were not a World Champion,” Alonso told Herbert live on Sky, after telling the three-time grand prix winner that he would not be retiring from Formula 1. Herbert’s comments on that matter were believed to have been what upset Alonso at the time.

“I was there to do a job. I was there to be honest,” said Herbert.

“The problem was his way of doing it.

“It started, I remember, in Japan, and it was when it was the GP2 engine, and he was sort of giving it real big slagging off over the radio.

“And especially that it was in Japan as well, home of the Honda, when Honda was struggling in the McLaren.

“And I think after the race, I was saying he’s very toxic.”

Herbert’s podcast co-star, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, then put it to Herbert that toxic was a “strong word” to use.

“He is,” Herbert responded.

“I totally have a lot of respect for what he does on the race track. He’s awesome at what he does.

“He should have had more world championships than he’s got. Through, probably decisions that he’s made, that he’s gone just to the wrong place at the wrong time, that sort of happens in life. But he’s still driving brilliantly today. He’s still got that way of doing it.

“So anyway, so then Bahrain I think it was, and it was still sort of going on. I think I mentioned that toxic word once again, and he was obviously watching it in the hospitality unit.

“So then he came out, and I was with Rachel [Brookes], and Rachel was talking. They said, ‘He’s coming. He’s coming. I can see Fernando coming’.

“So this is live. So he comes over, and he just comes straight in. I shook his hand, and then he basically said, ‘You don’t really know what you’re talking about, because you were never World Champion’. And then he basically just walked off.”

Herbert added: “I get that, when if someone is having a little bit of a dig at you, because of what’s happening within your environment that he is in, and being that we both know when there are good times in a team and there are bad times in a team. But, he was very vocal about the team, and slagging the team off effectively.

“So I just thought, no, that’s not right. There’s a time and a place for doing that. It’s not over the radio. You do it when you’re with your engineers or back at the factory, because when you’re doing it over the radio, there’s a lot of young ladies and young men back at the factory working very, very hard to try and make that car go as quickly as it can possibly go.

“I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do, but, I understand why he came up to me, in the way that he did.

“Do I regret saying what I said? No, I don’t. I still feel exactly the same now, because I do respect what he does on the race track as well.”

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Herbert revealed that he and Alonso remain on “awkward” terms.

Herbert was on the stewarding panel which gave Alonso his 20-second penalty at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, following an incident for George Russell, one which left Russell stranded on the track in his Mercedes.

It was a controversial penalty, one which frustrated Alonso. The drivers never made contact, but Alonso’s driving was deemed to have influenced Russell’s off into the wall.

Herbert revealed that he later saw Alonso at Silverstone, and his attempt to say hello led to another uncomfortable moment.

“I did see him at Silverstone a couple of years ago,” said Herbert, “and that was when I was a steward, strangely enough, in Australia, remember the last lap with George. George sort of rolled over on the last lap.

“The stewards, the four of us, decided that he got a penalty, and he was not very happy about that. And I saw him at Silverstone that year, and I hadn’t seen him since then. I was outside Sauber. He was just next door with a couple of friends. I thought, Oh, well, I’ll say hi.

“So I went and stuck my arm out, and he just completely blanked me, turned away. And then all he said to me, never, ever looked me in the eye, and he says, ‘You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to be here much longer’.

“He lied! He lied to me, because he’s still there.

“It’s one of those difficult situations that it’s awkward between us, which is very unfortunate. As I just said, I don’t have any malice towards him in any way, but he does. He never forgets certain instances. Not just what’s happened with me. There’s a lot of other instances that have happened. He hangs on to a lot of things.”

Alonso is preparing to line-up on the F1 2026 grid still an Aston Martin driver, as the Silverstone squad heads into F1’s new regulatory era with plenty of intrigue.

The first Aston Martin F1 car designed under Adrian Newey’s watch will hit the track, while Alonso will be reunited with Honda power, as the Aston Martin Honda alliance roars into life.

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