Johnny's last F1 race

[Gerard]

Sunday's will be Johnny's last Formula One race.
I don't know why but I feel a little sad about that.
Although I never met him he seems to be a very nice person.
I still have those gruesome images of his F3000 accident on my retina, and seeing what he has accomplished after that, he has my utmost respect.
Thank you Johnny and may the future be kind to you.

This is what others had to say about Johnny Herbert:

Eddie Jordan

'He's a great character who will be sorely missed in F1. I've always rated him highly, although I'm not sure he has ever been quite the driver he was before his accident. Having said that, I think it's probably the right time for him to move on; he's got another whole career waiting for him in America.'

Jonathan Browning

'We have been proud to have had Johnny in the Jaguar team. He very soon became a valued and very popular member of the Jaguar family and proved a great asset, never giving up his effort in what has proved a difficult year.'

Jacques Villeneuve

'I knew Johnny a little bit in Japan. He's a nice guy and I like him a lot; we sometimes bump into each other in Monaco. He's quick, so I think he'll be good in Champ Cars.'

Mika Salo

'Johnny's one of the good guys on the grid - always good fun. He's quick too and still has great car control. I'll never forget when we were racing at Fuji in Formula Nippon in the wet, and the cars were all over the place. Johnny was the only guy to go flat out, which was impressive. I think he'll be really competitive in the US because he's so quick.'

Michael Schumacher

'Johnny was my Benetton team-mate in 1995, which was when we won the constructors' title. He won two races that year which proves that he must be a good driver.'

Rubens Barrichello

'Johnny is a great guy, a good friend, so I'll be sad to see him go. He's a good driver and we had good fun together as team-mates last year at Stewart. Obviously, I was disappointed not to win Stewart GP's only race win at the Nurburgring, but if I couldn't do it, then I am pleased Johnny did.'

Peter Sauber

'I will be sorry to see him leave F1, because he was always good to have around in F1. When he drove for us, we enjoyed a very successful period, and he became part of the family. He was popular with everyone in the team and I thought he was very quick.'

Flavio Briatore

'I respect Johnny for what he had achieved in Formula 1. He did a very good job in my team, winning two races for us. He now has a lot of experience and I think he will do well in America if he goes there.'

Ron Dennis

'Johnny's return to F1 after suffering such bad injuries from his F3000 accident was extremely brave. He had a personality that a lot of people will miss and F1 will be the poorer for his not being involved.'

Eddie Irvine

'Johnny's a good guy and we've had some fun times this year in what have been some difficult circumstances. He's quick and he is very good on circuits with long straights. If he goes to America I think he'll do well and has a good chance of winning, although those Super Speedways aren't for me!'

[LYM]

http://f-1.sovintel.ru:8101/95/barcel/herbert_pit.mpg



ByeBye Johnny

[EERO]

Farewell to Johnny in Formula One. The luck should have been better, but stll many great driversstruggled even for threen wins. Here's to hoping for renewed success here in the states!.

[White Van Man]

Best of luck, Johnny! You are a star and, although your luck has meant that you never really made it to the top of F1, I have a sneeky feeling that you'll do well in CART - I hope so, anyway

Gerard, those quotes are very interesting - how often does a driver get that many people singing his praises ? Johnny will be missed in F1, but will fit in just right in CART.

[Ralf's Girl]

Poor old Johnny. He's not had the kind of luck he deserves, but he'll nevertheless be much missed.

It's going to be strange not hearing him talking to Louise Goodman halfway through the race - I've got used to the 'Johnny and Louise Show'!

[JeremySmith]

Johnny Herbert...You will be sadly missed by all your mates and fans in Formula1...I think that you should stay, and test your brains out,after all how many drivers out there with your experience..You have had some bad luck in the past, but always have a smile on your face.. Those ovals are realy boring mate...

[Carla O]

Johnny is a good driver and always really friendly.
once in Estoril when i asked to talke a pic with him, he first took the camera from my hands and took some photos of the pits. then looked jokingly half surprised "oh you meant a pic with me"

bah!

[Jay]

Can't wait to meet him next year in Toronto!

[TimD]

I'm going to miss him.

Of all the current drivers, he is the class of the field. A real gentleman, exuberant in victory, magnanimous in defeat, resilient in the face of personal adversity and stoical when his car lets him down. A lot of people could learn a lot from his example.

All my best wishes to you Johnny.

[Gerard]

From Autorace.com.

Most of the F1 fraternity attended the party on Friday night to bid farewell to Jaguar driver Johnny Herbert, who'll be leaving the team and the F1 arena at the end of the 2000 season.

Murray Walker hosted a star-studded 'This is Your Life' presentation in the plush surroundings of the Jaguar Paddock Club, during which past and present team-mates and colleagues dug deep in their memory banks for colourful recollections of the man who made his debut at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, way back in 1989.

Among those who shared their stories were Johnny's father Bob, his wife Becky, past and present team-mates Mika Hakkinen, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine, Jackie Stewart and Neil Ressler of Jaguar Racing, Benetton's Pat Symonds, and current ITV pundits Louise Goodman and Martin Brundle.
Johnny's former F3 and F3000 boss Eddie Jordan appeared on video, while Alex Zanardi, his former Lotus colleague, also sent a message.

Others who turned up just to watch and listen included Sir Frank Williams, Jenson Button, Pedro de la Rosa, Giancarlo Fisichella, Nick Heidfeld and Jean Alesi, plus the entire Jaguar Racing team and crew members from his previous homes at Benetton and Sauber.

Johnny picked up an assortment of presents during the evening. His dad gave him a screwdriver as a souvenir of the time the young Johnny threw a similar item at him - it stuck in the wall of the caravan! From Jackie Stewart he got the wing endplate of his Nurburgring-winning Stewart and a tartan cap, and from Eddie Irvine he got a helpful 'Turn Left' sign - designed to ensure he goes the right way around the American ovals next year!

Zanardi provided a Hertz car rental voucher to remind Johnny that in 1993 the Italian paid whenever they shared a car. Alas, the voucher was good only for a trip from Timbuktu to Bognor Regis...

Despite the inevitable conflicts with debriefs and team meetings, the audience stayed for an hour and enjoyed a superb tribute to a man who will be sorely missed in the paddock.

[jarama]

Poor Johnny, he's been unlucky even in his last F1 race. What an awful crash...

We'll miss you, Johnny.

[Carla O]

Wouldn't johnny be a great commentator? Did you see the way he pushed martin aside and took that microphone?

He'd do better there than going to America!

[Ralf's Girl]

Johnny should commentate when Murray retires.

[Bononi]

Johnny is a great person, as the brazilian commentators always said about him. Today during the race, both of the two said many things about how JH was a great fellow and very simpathetic person in F1 circus...

Good Luck Johnnie

[Liz]

What a terrifying way to exit from Formula One. I am sure his wife is very happy to see him out of that car and to have him where she can see him now and then!

I hope he gets a decent drive in CART and also look forward to seeing him in Toronto next year, where I'll be sure to tell him that everyone in our gang without exception wishes him well.

P.S. The BBC tribute to Johnny said that he had an amazing career considering his FATAL CRASH in F3000. Does this mean that Johnny has been racing all these years as a GHOST?