Vettel's rant was a step too far

Cape Town - Sebastian Vettel should have been sanctioned over his Mexican Grand Prix rant with former driver turned commentator Johnny Herbert saying he got off "scot-free."

Vettel was frustrated in the closing laps of the Mexican Grand Prix as he was unable to find a way around Max Verstappen, who he felt had gained an unfair advantage by cutting Turn 1.

Vettel launched a scathing attack at the Red Bull driver and then turned his ire on FIA race director Charlie Whiting.

The Ferrari driver escaped sanctions after apologising to Whiting and later stated in a letter to the FIA that he would "never" put in a repeat performance.

However, Herbert still feels he deserved some sort of sanction.

"The worst thing was the stuff directly at Charlie. I thought that was out of order and something should have been done about that one. It's a step too far," he told Reuters.

"You are hearing a frustrated Sebastian Vettel coming out with all this stuff and we want to hear it. But you know you've got to be sometimes careful with what you say and how you say it.

"We heard it, it was directed at Charlie in a very rude manner which is unacceptable. He should have got something. He got off scot-free."

Vettel was later handed third when Verstappen was penalised only for the German to lose third when he was hit with a time penalty for moving under braking.

Herbert reckons in this case Vettel's punishment was unjust.

"I'm surprised he (Vettel) got something for that. That's what I want to see, was there anything wrong with it? It was a squeeze, there wasn't anything wrong with it," he said.

"I'm 'let them race, let them get on with it'."