F1 favourite was axed in phone call from Sky months ago – and still doesn’t know why
Johnny Herbert has opened up on his axe from Sky Sports’ Formula 1 coverage six months ago, but is none the wiser as to why he was relieved from his duties.
Herbert had been an ever present on race weekends for Sky, working for the broadcaster since they acquired rights for the coverage back in 2012. Since the beginning of the 2023 season though, the former driver has been absent after his contract was not renewed.
And the decision to be relieved from Sky seemingly came as a shock to Herbert himself, with the 58-year-old still waiting on answers on why he was dismissed.
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Discussing his TV absence with the Daily Mirror, he said: “I didn’t decide to step away – I thought everything was going ahead! And then I got a call in December, I think it was, when I was told things were changing.
“It wasn’t explained why or what was changing. There was a mention of social media stuff and that was about it, really. I don’t really know. I was always aware – at Sky they do these subscriber checks where you’re given points out of 10 – and I’ve always known I was always quite popular on that side. It’s a shame, but I’m over it. Moving on.”
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Despite the dismissal from Sky, F1 fans can still get their dose of Herbert, with the former driver presenting his own podcast, Lift the Lid with co-host Billy Monger. Clearly enjoying his latest role, he commented: “This is great to do with Billy, for example.
“There are other opportunities out there, once again just proving that if you work hard you can find different avenues to carry on being involved with the sport we love. “So there’s other things going on, which is fine. Yes, it’s disappointing, but I’ve moved on.”
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Commenting on whether he could be set for a return to TV, Herbert added: “”That hasn’t come into play. I did my 11 years at Sky and it was good. Now there are other things I’m doing.
“Because it was in December it was all quite late in terms of sorting other things out. There are a lot of other opportunities but, in terms of seeing me on a TV screen, there’s probably nothing planned on that front.”
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