Former F1 driver Emanuele Pirro has hit out at the "ugly media attack" and "personal threats" that followed the Canadian GP.

Italian Pirro, who raced 40 times until 1991, was one of the stewards who gave Sebastian Vettel the highly controversial penalty that cost him victory in Montreal.

"I think my life changed in Canada and it will never be like it was before," the 57-year-old told Italian radio Rai.

"I received a very ugly media attack that I truly would not wish on my worst enemy, and personal threats that I had to go to the police about."

Pirro said he decided to be a steward because of his love of motor sport and Formula 1.

"I tried to do my job, which is also not a job because it is unremunerated. I only do it to help motor sport in the most correct way possible," he said.

He said he stands by the decision to penalise Vettel. Ferrari asked for a 'review' of the decision at Paul Ricard but the FIA rejected it.

"What you have to realise is that Hamilton had to stop to avoid Vettel. So there would have been an overtake if he had not been pushed against the wall," said Pirro.

"We also had to see the control that Vettel had of his car, that is whether the movement was voluntarily or not. That was the decision we had to make.

"Unfortunately in the end it was bad for everyone. Life would be beautiful if it was a fairy tale, but it is not," he added.