F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton gets title boost as ex-FIA steward addresses accusations of bias… See details 👇

Lewis Hamilton has received an important boost during Formula 1’s summer break, although it has come from an unexpected source. Former FIA steward Johnny Herbert has addressed accusations that he and other British F1 pundits are biased in favour of the Ferrari driver. �
GPFans +1
The controversy comes at a fascinating point in the 2026 championship. Hamilton currently sits second in the Drivers’ Championship on 169 points, 50 points behind Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli, while George Russell is third on 160. �
GPFans
Hamilton’s title challenge has gathered serious momentum after Ferrari made major progress with its SF-26. The seven-time world champion claimed his first Ferrari victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, helping revive hopes that he could fight for an eighth world title. �
GPFans
Herbert responds to Hamilton bias claims
Herbert, who previously served as an FIA steward before moving fully into his media career, has revealed that some of the strongest criticism he has received has come from supporters of Max Verstappen.
According to Herbert, fans have accused him of favouring Hamilton whenever he has criticised Verstappen. He said the social-media abuse became particularly severe, including disturbing threats directed at him. �
GPFans
Herbert rejected the suggestion that his opinions are automatically driven by nationality. However, he acknowledged that British commentators naturally have an emotional connection to a British driver.
His argument was essentially that supporting Hamilton as a British driver does not prevent him from assessing incidents objectively. He also stressed that admiration for Verstappen remains possible while supporting Hamilton. �
GPFans
That distinction is important because accusations of FIA or media bias have followed Hamilton and Verstappen throughout their careers, particularly since the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi title finale.
Why this matters for Hamilton’s title hopes
The comments do not give Hamilton any additional championship points and do not represent an FIA ruling in his favour. But they could help change the narrative surrounding his current title campaign.
Hamilton has endured a difficult relationship with penalties this season, including criticism following his recent Hungarian Grand Prix sanction. Herbert himself previously backed the FIA officials after Hamilton expressed frustration about his run of penalties. �
Motorsport Week
The bigger story, however, is what Ferrari is doing on track.
Ferrari are continuing to bring upgrades and are reportedly preparing another significant development package for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Hamilton is also expected to receive an updated chassis as Ferrari intensify their championship push. �
GPFans
The team is also targeting another power-unit upgrade for its home race at Monza, meaning Hamilton could have a substantially stronger Ferrari during the second half of the season. �
GPFans
The reality
Hamilton still has a 50-point deficit to overcome, so describing the championship as being in his hands would be premature. Antonelli and Mercedes remain in the stronger position.
But Ferrari’s development curve has changed the picture dramatically.
With Hamilton second in the standings, Ferrari continuing to improve its car and a major new chassis reportedly coming for Zandvoort, the eight-time world championship dream is far from dead.
And Herbert’s intervention adds another layer to the story: while accusations of British bias continue to circulate among sections of the Verstappen fanbase, the former FIA steward insists that supporting Hamilton does not mean abandoning objectivity.
The title race is still alive — and Hamilton now has Ferrari development behind him as he begins the fight to close that 50-point gap. �
GPFans