By Alan Baldwin LONDON (Reuters) -McLaren boss Zak Brown called for permanent stewards in Formula One after the governing FIA dropped former racer Johnny Herbert on Wednesday, arguing his work as a media pundit was incompatible with the role.

Former driver-turned-pundit Johnny Herbert will no longer serve as an FIA race steward for Formula 1 races due to the "incompatible" dual roles he was trying to serve.

The former F1 driver was in line to be a steward at the season-opening race in Australia but was criticised by Jos Verstappen last year for his dual role as steward and pundit

Formula One's governing body dropped former racer Johnny Herbert as a grand prix steward on Wednesday, saying the Briton's work as a media pundit was incompatible with the role. Herbert, a three-times winner who competed for an array of F1 teams in the 1980s and 1990s and started 160 races as well as winning the Le Mans 24 Hours,