So which 'idiot steward' is Max referring to?

An angry Max Verstappen blasted "one idiot steward" for a decision to penalise him for overtaking Kimi Raikkonen on the final lap of the US Grand Prix.

The FIA stewards considered the Red Bull Racing driver had gained an advantage by putting all four wheels off the track at COTA's Turn 17 and subsequently hit Verstappen with a five-second time penalty which demoted him from third to fourth.

"It's a shame we miss out on the podium as they take it away again but It's just one idiot steward who always makes the decisions up there against me."

The stewards in Austin were Radovan Novak, Mika Salo and Garry Connelly, with the latter targeted by Verstappen as the 'idiot' in the room.

Connelly also officiated at last year's Japanese Grand Prix, when the Dutch driver's defensive behaviour on the race track came under scrutiny following a battle with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap of the race.

• Verstappen slams stewards for 'idiot decisions killing the sport'

Connelly was also incidentally among the stewards who demoted Verstappen from third to fourth in Mexico last year when he was penalised for running wide under pressure from Sebastian Vettel and not handing back the position.

"It's no coincidence it was the same steward as Mexico last year," Horner told Britain's Channel 4.

"What was agreed after Mexico when there was that complete palava with the podium was that the drivers would be at least investigated. Max hasn't even been given the opportunity to state his case.

"I can pick twenty other incidents from that Grand Prix where the same thing has gone unpunished, so where's the consistency?"

Horner also reminded Channel 4 pundit Mark Webber that it was the same steward - allegedly Connelly - that had punished the Aussie for enjoying a lift back to the pits on Alonso's car in Singapore in 2013.

The Aussie cringed at the thought before bringing back to memory another incident at the Nurburgring a while back where Connelly also laid down the law.

In his usual frank and honest way, Webber offered a blunt assessment of Verstappen's penalty: "It was a sh** decision," said the former Red Bull driver.

Garry Connelly, who is also Deputy President of the FIA Institute, was widely known as a rally driver in Australia and worldwide.

Exceeding track limits and putting four wheels off the road is the norm for a rally driver. But when it comes to Formula 1, foot in and balls out just won't cut it for Connelly.

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