Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has criticised Formula 1 bosses for altering their stance on the awarding of super licences to young drivers.

The sport's rules changed after Max Verstappen was granted a licence to race in F1, a decision which drew criticism from some quarters.

However, Marko has insisted that his performances have demonstrated why ruling body the FIA was wrong to amend regulations.

"The maturity of our two young drivers is probably no longer in question," Marko told Servus TV.

"But it is sad that now a regulation is coming in that would have deprived both Max and Carlos of the licence they need. The sport is over-regulated. If you are 17, but you have the maturity of a 22-year-old, then you have to question this strict age rule.

"We did nothing reckless. We tested him in a 3.5-litre Formula Renault, in a two-year-old F1 car, we put him in the simulator - at every point he was competitive from the beginning."

At last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix Verstappen produced the best qualifying performance by a teenager in 54 years, to start from sixth on the grid in Sepang.