A former British racing driver who enjoyed considerable success in both Formula 1 and in the Le Mans 24 hours. He would win three Grand Prixs and finish on the podium seven times in his Formula One career, racking up 98 career points. Driving for some of the most prestigious race teams in Formula 1, Johnny raced for Benetton, Tyrell, Lotus, Ligier, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar during his time on the biggest stage in motorsports. He would compete against some of the greatest names in the history of F1, including Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell.
His early career was particularly promising, and after winning the 1985 Formula Food Festival at Brands Hatch he came to the attention of Eddie Jordan, and the two would enjoy success in 1987 when Johnny won the British Formula 3 title. Unfortunately, a career threatening injury followed in 1988 when he was slammed into the wall of the cockpit. He recovered to return to racing and joined the Formula One circuit in 1989, despite reduced mobility and a subsequent change to his driving style. His trouble with operating the brake pedal would go on to cause him problems, but he still managed significant success in Formula 1. Showing his passion for all forms of motorsport, Johnny entered and won the prestigious 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of many successes outside of Formula One.
He would go on to win the LeMans Series Championship over a decade later in 2004. Back in the world of F1, in front of thousands of onwatching home fans, Johnny won the 1995 British Grand Prix, cementing his status as one of the most loved British sporting personalities. He would follow this up with further triumphs in the 1995 Italian Grand Prix and the 1999 European Grand Prix. Upon retiring from Formula 1, Johnny became a member of the Sky Sports commentary team, where his expert views on F1 coverage brought him global attention. This has taken him to Grand Prixs from Canada to Monaco, Australia to Abu Dhabi. He has also become a regular on the after dinner speaking circuit, where his experiences have been well-received at events across the nation and beyond.
Event appearances in recent years have included at a UBS convention where he discussed the similarities between banking and racing, personal appearances at the annual Autosport International showcase held at Birmingham NEC and at the Move With Us conference, bringing together the UK's largest network of independent estate agents, hosted at the Williams Conference Centre in Oxfordshire. He has also embarked on his own UK tour, entitled, An Evening with Johnny Herbert. A fascinating sports and after dinner speaker capable of inspiring teams with the details of his magnificent career, Johnny Herbert is a must-have at events of all shapes and sizes.
How to hire Johnny Herbert
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Johnny Herbert for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
FEEDBACK FROM VIRTUAL EVENTS & WEBINARS:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnny attended many virtual events, booked as an exciting guest speaker. Read the feedback he has received below.
"Yes, it was all great thanks. They were great fun" - Zoe, Senior Operations Manager, In Connection
"Thanks so much for all of your help to make today’s event such a success! Damon and Johnny were fantastic speakers and our audience loved the presentation."
FEEDBACK FROM IN-PERSON EVENTS:
Johnny is regularly booked to engage audiences at in-person events, read his latest feedback below.
"Goodyear and Dunlop were a big part of Johnny’s career, providing the grip for his Le Mans 24h and British Grand Prix. Now, it is Johnny’s turn to grip our audiences and support our promotional activity. He does this with his characteristic charm and candour, giving a true insight into what makes a winner tick." - James, Goodyear Dunlop Motorsport
"Johnny’s contribution to our F1 coverage is always first class and he is a valued member of our Sky Sports F1 team. His expert analysis of qualifying and races ensures that our viewers get the very most from our extensive coverage of F1". - Billy, Sky Sports F1 Producer
"Just wanted to say that Johnny Herbert was brilliant today. He stayed to past 5pm, was so friendly and suffered questions I am sure he must have heard many times! Although we did struggle to get him out of the F1 simulators!! Thank you so much for sorting everything out for me" - Sally, Move With Us
"I just want to thank you for a great show at Swindon. I have been an F1 fan since the 70's and am amazed at how technical the fans can get and how good your memory is. I can’t remember what I did this morning! You said that humour was you way to cope with your horrendous injuries and still is. I had blood clots all over my lungs a few years ago humour helped me through it as well made it that way and I got through because of it." - Chris, The Wyvern Theatre
"Just thought I would let you know how much we enjoyed the show at Stevenage on Tuesday evening and thank you for signing my Audi picture taken at Silverstone. Jackie has refused to wash her face since you gave her a quick peck on the cheek! We are Looking forward to your next Tour already!" - Keith & Jackie, The Gordon Craig Theatre
"We are really excited to work with Johnny and some of our most passionate fans to build what should be one of the most high-tech cars in the world, and in turn use it to push our Nismo drivers to their limits." - Gareth, Nissan Europe
"My wife and I were at your presentation at Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Fife. What a fantastic evening we had and enjoyed the relaxed and informative format topped off with an interesting Q&A session. We've followed your career and genuinely believe that you had the potential to be a World Champion. Thanks for the evening - very much appreciated." - Iain & Jayne, Rothes Halls
"Thanks Johnny for doing an interview with me, and for a fantastic evening at Christchurch. It was interesting to hear all the back scene drama of the teams and the problems teams are facing this year with tyres! Formula 1 is my life and I love it, I am 15 years old and hope to work in motor sport media one day. I wanted to know how you coped after your accident and what gave you the determination to get into Formula 1 so quickly, your answer of ‘knowing you just had to get back out there and get on with it’ your drive and determination has really inspired me and helps me to push myself every day when coping with Myotonic Dystrophy." - Luke, The Regent Centre
"Went well thanks. Appreciate your help in pulling it all together" - James, Pace Agency
"Johnny was absolutely brilliant with our guests and what a nice man he is! Really pleased with him throughout the day and evening." - Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation
"Johnny was a really nice guy, he was well received by the team and we had queues of people wanting pictures with him, so i think as a name it worked very well thank you!" - Andy, Blackball Media
"Last night went really well thank you. Johnny is such a lovely guy and clearly bowled over our audience. He was happy to talk to everyone, sign things and even helped doing our auction! Please pass our thanks to Johnny, from the whole Scannappeal Team, Charlotte, thank you also for all your help and support, as always you make it very easy for us!" - Hannah, Scannappeal
"He was a pleasure to work with and had dinner with us the night before. And his talk was spot on and the delegates enjoyed it." - Cooper Vision
