Fernando Alonso received a 20-second penalty during the Australian GP. The collision that occurred on the penultimate lap of the race initially seemed ridiculous to many fans. However, after a more thorough investigation, it was discovered that the accident was the result of a controversial decision made by the stewards. One of the stewards involved in this decision was a former F1 driver who surprisingly faced numerous death threats after penalizing Alonso.
Johnny Herbert and Fernando Alonso had a history of rivalries in the past. Herbert had advised Alonso to leave the sport when he used to criticize the engines. In response, Alonso fired back at Herbert, stating that he did not see a future for himself as a commentator like Herbert. As a result, fans made connections between these incidents and the penalty Alonso received in Australia.
However, the 59-year-old Herbert denied these claims and revealed the extent of the repercussions he faced after the race. He shared that the consequences of his decision lasted for approximately two weeks, during which he received comments and messages from fans containing dagger emojis and death threats. Most of these messages came from Spanish fans who belittled Herbert because he was never a world champion and believed he had made a shameful decision.
Although Herbert claimed that these messages did not affect him much, there were concerns about the potential danger to his safety due to comments about his whereabouts. He expressed disappointment with the attitude of these individuals and how they carry on with their daily lives.
In addition, Herbert stated that Alonso would be ashamed to know how his fans treated him. He emphasized that these people are not true fans and pointed out that similar threats have been directed at other drivers in the world of F1, such as in the decisive title race in 2021.
In other news, the F1 circus will return to Miami next May. Despite the threats he received, Herbert did not rule out the possibility of being a steward at the race. He stated that he is not afraid of these messages and will continue to carry out his work with the utmost honesty.
