Johnny Herbert says the air still hasn’t cleared with Fernando Alonso — and probably won’t — nearly a decade on from their TV flashpoint in Bahrain.
Speaking on the Stay on Track podcast alongside Damon Hill, the former Sky F1 pundit revisited that live exchange at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, when Alonso wandered into a Sky segment and told Herbert, on air, that he wasn’t retiring and that Herbert had become a commentator because he wasn’t a World Champion.
Herbert believes the confrontation had been brewing since Suzuka 2015, when Alonso’s infamous “GP2 engine” radio blast, delivered at Honda’s home race during McLaren’s grim reunion with the Japanese manufacturer, prompted Herbert to label the two-time champion “toxic.”
“I was there to do a job and to be honest,” Herbert said. “He was very vocal about the team back then. There’s a time and a place for that, and it’s not over the radio when you’ve got a factory full of people grafting to fix the car.”
Hill challenged him on the show, suggesting “toxic” was a strong word. Herbert didn’t back away. He praised Alonso’s ability — “he’s awesome at what he does” — but stood by the assessment that the public digs at McLaren crossed a line. He also suggested Alonso’s career tally could’ve been bigger “but for the choices he made.”
The Bahrain moment remains one of F1’s most replayed pieces of live theatre. Herbert recalls being trackside with Rachel Brookes when producers warned, “He’s coming.” Alonso strode in, Herbert offered a handshake, and the Spaniard delivered the put-down before walking off. The scene has lived rent-free in F1’s collective memory ever since.
Fast-forward to 2024 and the pair clashed indirectly again. Herbert served on the stewards’ panel that handed Alonso a 20-second penalty at the Australian Grand Prix after George Russell crashed late on, with the Mercedes ending up on its side. The drivers never touched, but Alonso was found to have influenced the incident with his approach to the corner — a decision that irked the Aston Martin driver.
Herbert says a chance encounter at Silverstone later that year didn’t thaw anything. He spotted Alonso outside the Sauber garage, went to say hello, and got the cold shoulder. “He never looked me in the eye,” Herbert recalled. “All he said was, ‘You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to be here much longer.’” Herbert laughed on the pod: “He lied — he’s still here.”
If you’re surprised their relationship hasn’t softened with time, you haven’t been paying attention. Alonso does not forget, and the paddock rarely forgets good television. Herbert insists there’s no malice on his side; he respects Alonso’s craft and the enduring quality of his driving, but he won’t apologize for calling the 2015 radio jabs out at the time. In his view, some things should stay behind the garage door.
“Do I regret it? No,” he said. “I still feel exactly the same now.”
As for Alonso, he remains a force on the 2025 grid — older, wiser, still ferociously sharp — and still a magnet for storylines. The edges haven’t dulled on either side of this particular one. Some rivalries burn out; this one just simmers, occasionally bubbling to the surface, a reminder that F1’s best drama isn’t always decided at Turn 1.
