Johnny Herbert explains awkward Fernando Alonso confrontation

Johnny Herbert has recalled an awkward live-on-air TV confrontation with Fernando Alonso.

The infamous exchange was captured live on Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix and quickly went viral, with then-McLaren driver Alonso giving a vicious put-down to pundit Herbert.

Herbert had suggested two-time world champion Alonso should retire following his heavy crash at that year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Alonso, who was ruled out of the second round in Bahrain due to injuries he sustained in the incident, walked up to three-time grand prix winner Herbert and shook his hand, saying: "I will not retire, mate. I was world champion. You ended up as a commentator because you were not a world champion mate."

Reflecting on the incident during an episode of the Stay On Track podcast with fellow former F1 driver Damon Hill, Herbert said: “I was there to do a job. I was there to be honest.

“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.”

When it was put to him by co-host Hill that toxic was a “strong word” to use, Herbert responded: “Yeah well, he is.

“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. She 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 continued: “I get that when 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.

“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.”