Herbert chosen as first 2012 driver steward

Three-time F1 winner Johnny Herbert will be the driver representative steward for this weekend’s curtain-raiser in Australia. The Englishman was also on-hand last year.

Herbert, who won the 1995 British and Italian Grands Prix for Benetton as well as the 1999 European race for Stewart, retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2000. Last year, he was steward for both the Melbourne event and the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

Driver stewards have been part of the sport since the start of 2010, in an initiative for fairer arbitrating encouraged by then newly-elected FIA President Jean Todt.