Red Bull Formula 1 chief Christian Horner ha💃s blasted the stewards at the United States Grand Prix for making an "appalling" de𝔍cision to strip Max Verstappen of a podium finish for allegedly gaining an advantage by going off-track late on.

Verstappen barged his way past Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on the fin﷽al lap of the race through the final sector, appearing to ride the kerb when completing the move after a stunning fight from 16th on the grid.

The overtake sparked celebrations both in the cro🤪wd and the Red Bull garage due to its bravado, but the stewards - led by Mika Salo in Austin - did not view it the same way.

Not long after taking the checkered flag, Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty that demote⛄d him to fourth behind Raikkonen, with the Red Bull driver being led away from the cool-down roo𝓰m before the podium.

Horner echoed Verstappen's frustration with Salo when speaking to Channel 4 after the race, believing the Dutchman had been unfairly targeted after a race that saw track limits be pushed re💛gularly.

"“Look there’s a driver going off track there, stays ahead. How come that’s allowed?" Horner said while watching Valtteri Bottas' defensive move on Verstappen earlier in✨ the 🌟race.

"Valtteri at Turn 1, Turn 2, Turn 15. Max has driven an amazing drive. He’s gone for the gap here. Kimi’s closed it. Tꦚhat looks nothing worse to me than we’ve seen several times this grand prix by other🅰 drivers.

"I’ve💎 just gone and had a fairly frank discussion with the stewards and expressed 🉐my satisfaction with their decision-making. I think it’s an appalling decision.

"It’s no coincidencඣe the same steward is as Mexico last year. What was agreed after Mexico was that complete palava with the podium was that the drivers would be at least investigated.

"Max hasn’t evဣen been given the opportunity to state his case. I could pick out 20 other incidents from that grand prix where the same thing has gone unpunished.

"Where’s the consistency?"