Red Bull CEO Marko receives a warning after insulting statements about Pérez | GP Singapore

15 Sep 2023 at 20:36

Red Bull Racing CEO Helmut Marko has received an official warning from the motorsport federation FIA. The eighty-year-old Austrian insulted his driver Sergio Pérez last week.

“We can confirm that Helmut Marko has received a written warning and has been made aware of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA’s code of ethics,” the motorsport federation said.

Marko said last week that the Red Bull driver’s inconsistent performance has to do with his background. “He is South American and just not as fully focused in his head as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel,” Marko said of Pérez.

Marko received a lot of criticism, after which the Red Bull Racing CEO apologized to Pérez. The Mexican accepted that apology. “It helps a lot to know the person because I know he doesn’t mean it that way. We all make mistakes, and what was most important to me is that I accept his apology,” Perez said.

Max Verstappen also stated that Marko had not intended his statements that way. Lewis Hamilton just lashed out at Marko. The seven-time world champion called the Austrian’s statements “unacceptable” and stated that apologies alone would not be enough.

Pérez won two Grands Prix early in the year, but cannot come close to the performance of his teammate Max Verstappen. In the most recent Grand Prix – in Italy – he finished second.

Beeld: Getty Images

Read more about:

Formule 1Lewis HamiltonRed Bull RacingMax VerstappenSergio PérezHelmut Marko

Source