Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently grabbed all the headlines after he made some shocking remarks about Sergio Perez. The Austrian not only criticized the 33-year-old about his form but also cited his South American descent as a reason for his failure to match Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. With Marko facing a serious backlash due to his remarks, he has issued a clarification response speaking to oe24, but not really an apology.
Marko has been prompted to clarify his remarks after he shockingly told Sport & Talk of Servus TV in a recent interview, “Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American. And so, his head is not as focused as Max Verstappen or as Sebastian Vettel was, but racing is his forte and he had a very good race (at Monza)“.
Reaching 250 GPs in Singapore … not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine we’d be here! Celebrating with a special helmet for my country because I know this means a lot to us 🇲🇽❤️ I hope you like it, here’s to a great weekend in Singapore.
Llegar a 250 GP en Singapur… ¡ni en… pic.twitter.com/7leKhWWCl3
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) September 8, 2023
Following Marko’s shocking remarks, several F1 fans demanded Red Bull to issue an apology. They called out the Red Bull advisor for his insensitive remarks and urged the team to take action against him.
Helmut Marko clarifies his “South American” criticism of Sergio Perez
After facing backlash for two days following his “South American” jibe, Helmut Marko has clarified his initial remarks. He said (as quoted by oe24.com), “I didn’t mean that. I meant to say that a Mexican has a different mentality than a German or a Dutchman, but who knows, maybe it’s under control“.
Marko made such shocking remarks despite F1 having some of the greatest racers from South America. Legendary Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio and Brazil’s Ayrton Senna are a few of the biggest names who hailed from South America.
It is unexpected that Marko expressed those comments. However, it is worth mentioning that Perez does not originate from South America. The 33-year-old is from Mexico and has also been on the receiving end of such controversial remarks from Marko previously.
Marko also took a jibe at Perez last year
In an interview last season, Helmut Marko claimed that Sergio Perez has had several “ups and downs” in his career because he is South American. The 80-year-old made these remarks while explaining how anxious the Mexican was after a missile attack took place near the Jeddah Corniche Circuit last year during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.
“As a South American, he generally has a lot of ups and downs. Max is not afraid, and Perez is very scared. Although it isn’t different from how he lives in Mexico City,” explained (as quoted by planetf1.com) the Red Bull advisor in an interview with Sky Germany last year.
