Helmut Marko believes in tough love. Naturally, he’s earned quite a reputation in the F1 paddock for being a hard and brutal mentor. But his methods of extracting the most from his drivers have often been termed too toxic and rude. Now, ex-Ferrari manager, Joan Villadelprat has called out the Austrian to be sacked by Red Bull, per PlanetF1.
Marko has been very critical of Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver has arguably lost his way this season and his dismal performances speak for itself. Marko being Marko has often publicly been very outspoken about Perez’s troubles. What’s more, he’s even gone as far as making xenophobic comments about his nationality. Marko commented that Perez lacks the attentiveness and concentration of other drivers because he is a Mexican.
Toto Wolff says Helmut Marko’s comments, where he blamed Sergio Perez’s inconsistent form this season on his ethnicity, are “so embarrassing for Formula 1”. pic.twitter.com/h1ZVb1TQeZ
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 15, 2023
Marko isn’t just some team member who’s been handed the microphone by chance. The 80-year-old ex-racing driver is an integral part of the championship winning outfit as one of the main decision-makers and a mentor for all the drivers within the Red Bull stable.
Helmut Marko blamed for Sergio Perez’s Red Bull downfall
Villadelprat told PlanetF1, “Take Helmut Marko away from the f**king team. Every time he opens his mouth. The only thing he’s doing is hammering,” when asked about his insights into the Guadalajara-born driver’s torrid 2023 season.
The Spaniard believes that rather than supporting Checo to get back to his own lofty standards, Marko has seemingly broken the man down and ruined his confidence as a driver. He continued, “If things don’t go well and things are tough for a driver, you don’t need somebody telling you that you’re useless.”
🚨 RUMOUR: Sergio Peréz to retire! 🇲🇽
Some sources say that the Mexican Minister of Defense is thinking about a retirement of Formula 1. ❌
Dr. Helmut Marko: “He is in his 30s and will get a 3rd child. He has other things to focus on.” 🗣🎤
— brxno.f1 (@bruno_sperber) October 16, 2023
According to the ex-Ferrari man, Marko’s attitude towards his own drivers is more detrimental than good. Villadelprat has first hand experience of this, too. He revealed, “I had Jaime Alguersuari and Brendon Hartley. Red Bull boys in my teams. I know the pressure that he puts on the young kids. He’s useless.”
Sergio Perez is on the brink of losing his Red Bull career
2023 started off on a brilliant note for Perez. It was as though Max Verstappen finally had a championship rival within the team. However, ever since the Miami GP, Perez has lagged back dramatically to Verstappen’s pace. Now, he is on the brink of losing out on P2 in the standings.
Perez’s confidence has severely affected his abilities. He’s been missing a chunk of confidence behind the wheel of the RB19. Part of it can be the challenge of squaring off against a generational talent like Verstappen. On top of that, he doesn’t really get a lot of support from the team. And Marko’s harsh comments definitely don’t help.
To add insult to injury, Perez apparently has an ultimatum to deal with: ‘Lose P2 in the driver’s standings this year, and you’re out of the team.’
