Despite once calling for Sebastian Vettel to be reprimanded for cussing at Charlie Whiting, Christian Horner has defended Max Verstappen’s name-calling of the stewards in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen’s evening at the Yas Marina Circuit was undone at the very first corner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when the Dutchman misjudged a gap on the side of Oscar Piastri into Turn 1.

Christian Horner: In other sports…

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

He made the move but the gap wasn’t there and instead hit Piastri, pitching both cars into spins.

Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty for being “wholly” to blame with the stewards also giving him two penalty points on his Super Licence, bringing his tally of a 12-month rolling period to eight.

Verstappen wasn’t impressed, and told Red Bull over the radio: “Could we ask for 20 seconds? Stupid idiots!”

His criticism did not go down well with former F1 driver turned Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle, who felt Verstappen had only himself to blame for the penalty.

“You can’t say that, that’s just not fair – they’re applying the regulations,” he said. “You don’t run into other people, then you won’t get the penalties.”

Horner though defended his driver, after all, no one sport has a microphone catching the participants’ reactions to events.

“I’m sure in any sport, there will always be frustration from players or sports people in the heat of the moment when you are delivered a message about a penalty like that,” Horner told media including PlanetF1.com.

“In other sports… if footballers had a microphone on, then I am sure there’d be a few choice words as well.”

However, the Red Bull team boss was then reminded that after Sebastian Vettel criticised former FIA race director Charlie Whiting at the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix, Horner stated that sportspeople should never criticise a referee and that the German should’ve been looked at.

“Well, look, I mean, circumstances change, but drivers don’t and sometimes I do feel that it is very unfair,” he replied.

“We hear all drivers rant and rave, we hear team principals rant and rave occasionally too, and it is a little unfair sometimes.

“One of the benefits of this sport is the access given, you would never find a camera or microphone in a football or rugby changing room or a team room or team talk. Microphones in their faces before they get on the grid or when they get out of the car.

“It is unique and sometimes not every message is necessarily needed to be broadcast.”

Back in 2016, Vettel was fuming with Whiting, saying he could “f— off” along with other expletives in a radio rant as he wanted the FIA race director to penalise Verstappen for going off at Turn 1 while defending third position late in the race.

Horner felt the then-Ferrari driver should’ve been sanctioned for that.

“Of course in the heat of the moment there’s always going to be emotion from the drivers,” said the Red Bull team boss. “In other sports, I’m sure if football players had microphones on their language would be an awful lot bluer than what’s going out on the track.

“But in any sport what you can’t do is give abuse to the referee, essentially. So I would be surprised if that went unreprimanded.”

Vettel did seek out Whiting after the race to personally apologise.