F1 News: Helmut Marko Issues Formal Apology Following "Racist" Comments About Sergio Perez
Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has issued a formal apology following the huge amount of backlash he received for "racist" comments about Sergio Perez earlier in the week.
Marko compared Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's mentality during an interview with Servus TV.
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He commented:
“Let’s remember that he is South American, and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was.
“But racing is his forte, and he had a very good race. Overtaking three drivers, in George Russell and the Ferraris, was not easy.”
The comments were obviously not well-received with many fans branding the statement as "racist and xenophobic".
The motorsport advisor has now issued a formal apology, stating:
"Referring to my interview in the Sport und Talk program on ServusTV on Monday September 4th, I would like to make it clear that I am firmly convinced that you cannot generalize about people, regardless of their culture, nationality or ethnic origin.
"I wanted to underline that, although Checo had a great race at Monza, Checo's performance has fluctuated greatly this year. It was wrong to make a reference to his origins. I would like to sincerely apologize for that.
"Concerning my remark about Sergio Perez, ServusTV Sport and Talk, Monday September 4: I would like to apologise for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity.
"I was trying to make a point that Checo has fluctuated in his performance this year, but it was wrong to attribute this to his cultural heritage."
Although Marko has made the apology, many fans on social media are calling for more action to be taken. One fan posted:
"Why are they even giving him a platform to speak in the first place"
Another fan posted:
"If I was a south American supporting Redbull team, then I would stop supporting the team until Helmut Marko got the sack!! How dare he disrespect the South Americans?? Literally called them Confused and absent minded."