Neither Channel 4 nor BBC Radio 5 Live have picked up Johnny Herbert as a regular member of their Formula 1 presenting teams after his contract with Sky Sports came to an end, Mirror Sport can report.
Last month, the Mirror reported that Herbert was no longer part of the Sky F1 presenting team heading into the 2023 season. Both he and Paul di Resta left the broadcaster after their respective contracts were not renewed.
The news provoked a significant response from F1 fans on social media. Di Resta's intense racing schedule this year will have made it hard for him to find the time, but many expressed their sorrow that Herbert will no longer be a part of Sky's F1 coverage.
Many fans expressed the hope that one of the other broadcasters that holds F1 rights in the UK might pick Herbert up. Channel 4 shows F1 highlights and will cover the British Grand Prix live, while the BBC holds the radio broadcast rights for the sport.
However, Mirror Sport understands that neither of them plan to pick up Herbert as a regular pundit for the 2023 season. The BBC has already confirmed its presenting line-up. Channel 4 is yet to do so, but it is understood that Herbert will not be joining the free-to-air broadcaster.
That does not preclude the 58-year-old from possibly making one-off guest appearances for either of those broadcasters, though none are currently planned. He may also find work with a foreign broadcaster or with F1 TV Pro, which is not currently available in the UK.
While Herbert will be absent from F1 coverage on UK TV, he recently told Last Lap Lucy that he will "be around" this year. 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.
UK TV broadcasters' F1 presenting line-ups
Sky Sports : Natalie Pinkham, Simon Lazenby, Rachel Brookes and Naomi Schiff (presenters); David Croft (lead commentator); Ted Kravitz (pit lane reporter); and pundits Jenson Button, Martin Brundle, Karun Chandhok, Anthony Davidson, Damon Hill, Danica Patrick and Nico Rosberg.
Channel 4 : TBC. A spokesperson for C4 told the Mirror: "We'll be announcing our F1 line up in the near future."
BBC Radio 5 Live : Rosanna Tennant (host); Jack Nicholls (lead commentator), Harry Benjamin (commentator), as well as a team of pundits including Jolyon Palmer, Jamie Chadwick, Sam Bird, Marc Priestley and Jack Aitken.
