Johnny Herbert promised he "will be around" this year despite not being part of Sky Sports' Formula 1 coverage for the upcoming season.
Mirror Sport revealed on Wednesday that both Herbert and Paul di Resta will not appear on the channel this year. A Sky spokesperson confirmed the broadcaster will go into the new season with a 13-strong line-up with no new faces expected to join them.
The Sky Sports team will consist of presenters Natalie Pinkham, Simon Lazenby, Rachel Brookes and Naomi Schiff; commentator David Croft; pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz; and a rotating panel of pundits including the likes of Martin Brundle, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg, among others.
Speculation began over Herbert's future after the 58-year-old posted on social media in which he strongly hinted he would not be working for Sky. Replies to that post from colleagues Pinkham and Brookes also suggested his departure.
A Sky spokesperson told the Mirror: "Johnny has been an integral part of our Formula 1 team since the very first season on Sky Sports in 2012. We will miss his humour and big personality and thank him for his energy and enthusiasm over the last 11 years. Everyone wishes him all the best for the future."
Amid the speculation over Herbert's future, a video surfaced from an interview which took place at the Autosport International earlier this month. At the trade show, the three-time F1 race winner told motorsport content creator Last Lap Lucy that he still plans to be involved in the sport this year.
"I'm not with Sky this year, unfortunately, but there are other things I'll be getting involved with," he said. "I'll be at Silverstone for sure, and the Monaco Grand Prix. I'm hoping to get to Le Mans as well this year, because that's going to be a big event this time around.
"I'm doing a bit of karting – not racing, just testing. My son-in-law wants me to race but I don't really want to, but you'll probably see me on a go-kart track near you. I've got various things going on. I'm enjoying things on the track and also life off the track as well."
Di Resta has not yet spoken publicly since the announcement, though it is understood that his driving commitments for 2023 play a part. The Scot will race in both the World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series this year.
