Sergio Perez says he accepted Helmut Marko’s apology for claiming he cannot focus as well as rivals from European countries.
Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, told Red Bull’s Servus TV channel that Perez is “South American [sic] and his head just isn’t as fully focused” as European drivers such as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel. Four days later Marko issued an apology for his “offensive remark”.Perez said he has spoken to Marko since then and accepted his apology. “I had a private conversation with him,” said Perez. “He did apologise and that, to me, was the main thing. And, basically, we move on.
“I have a personal relationship with him and I think you can always have those feelings when you see that sort of stuff knowing the person helps a lot because I know he doesn’t mean it that way. And I took his apology because I know Helmut from the personal relationship that he doesn’t mean it that way.”
The Red Bull driver said he understood why Marko’s comments had prompted the criticism that greeted them.
“Obviously those comments, when you read them in isolation, can be very disrespectful. But like I say, knowing Helmut, having that personal relationship for me helped me a lot to understand him.
“And like I say he gave me a personal apology. So it’s like everything when you have a personal relationship, it’s a lot more important, the personal feeling, than the public feeling.”
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Marko has a reputation for never sparing his drivers’ blushes with his feedback. “He will tell you what he thinks,” said Perez. “I think something that we can appreciate from Helmut is that he’s very transparent – to the media, to the world in general and also to the drivers. It’s just how he is.”
Perez said he was “not at all” offended by Marko’s remarks. “Knowing Helmut, like I say, I have a personal relationship with him, I know he doesn’t mean it that bad way and I didn’t get offended at all, personally.
“If those comments were on a different perspective or so on I would have taken them differently. But to me it’s just how things are and I didn’t [take] them personally.”
However Lewis Hamilton, who has consistently spoken up about the need to improve diversity in Formula 1, was appalled by Marko’s comments.
“It’s completely unacceptable what he said,” the Mercedes driver told Sky. “Whilst we say there’s no room for any type of discrimination within the sport – [and] there should be no room for it – to have leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not good for us moving forwards.
“I think it just highlights, firstly, the work that still needs to be done. There are a lot of people in the background that really are trying to combat these sorts of things, but it’s hard to manoeuvre […] if there are people in the top that have those sort of mindsets. That just stops us from progressing.”
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He added he was “not surprised, to be honest” by Marko’s remarks and said further action should have been taken in response to them. “This is not something that you just apologise [for] and it’s all okay,” said Hamilton. “I think there needs to be more done.”
Hamilton pointed out that other teams in similar situations have distanced themselves from discriminatory remarks. “At least they put out a quote and say they don’t support that sort of thing,” he said. “It is interesting that they haven’t done so for this one.
“But it’s not my team and it’s not how we move as a team. I think it just shows how important it is that we continue to do the work that I’m trying to do with my team and with the sport. We still have a lot of work to do moving forwards to make sure that this is a more inclusive environment.”
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Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
14th September 2023, 16:37
Hypocrisy of this guy is astounding! Lewis Hamilton called his fellow rivals in less competitive cars “simians at the back”. Can you imagine how Jenson Button, Anthony Davidson, Takuma Sato or Ralf Schumacher felt, when Hamilton dehumanized them?
slowmo (@slowmo)
14th September 2023, 16:39
Great whataboutism
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 17:54
@armchairpotato Not the same thing.
XM
15th September 2023, 2:18
Not the same thing? Really? Imagine if K Mag made the monkey comment, you’d be crying for his head.
Not the same thing?
Shit like this is why I hate Hamilton. I highly respect him as a driver but not as a person who fringe champions these things. Even Seb was much more of an environmental warrior than Ham is without having to pander to the media as often with very little action.
Moshambles (@moshambles)
15th September 2023, 8:42
“Hate”
F1 frog (@f1frog)
15th September 2023, 8:43
And I suspect if K-Mag had made the comment you wouldn’t consider it bad at all. Hamilton’s comment (and it would be exactly the same as if Magnussen said it) is only as bad as Vettel calling Karthikeyan a cucumber. It isn’t anything like what Marko said at all. It is ironic that Hamilton-haters are so desperate to be highly offended by any minor thing he says while at the same time criticising him for speaking up against genuine racism.
David BR (@david-br)
15th September 2023, 17:47
@XM why K Mag?! I like him! don’t know why you’d choose him in particular.
Hamilton’s 2007 rookie season comment was arrogant, and shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-ish, but not discriminatory. So no. Not the same thing. Also, Hamilton has clearly been on something of a learning curve since. Not what you can say about Marko.
F1Genova (@f1genova)
14th September 2023, 18:19
@armchairpotato if you think that this is the same thing, you yourself may require educating
mog
14th September 2023, 21:34
Tolerance only goes in one direction with this type of ideology.
melanos
15th September 2023, 0:21
I pretty much recall it was “monkeys at the back” what the Dirtiest Driver Ever said. And yes, it is abysmally worse than what Marko said. Of course nobody ever got an apology for that. Now, with Marko “there needs to be more done”. Like banning the author of the remark for good from the sport, maybe? Or it only works one way?
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th September 2023, 8:02
It was Ted K. who ask only Lewis that question instead of the other drivers too…. Maybe he got a signal to drop that question or just being Ted.
Edvaldo
14th September 2023, 16:51
Does Perez even have a say in this? Accept it or go home.
Let’s see in a few years, after he parts ways with Red Bull, if he’ll have something to say about this.
PacificPR (@streydt)
14th September 2023, 21:34
Marko and Red Bull have put Perez in a very awkward and vulnerable position – I feel Red Bull should have at least suspended Marko out of respect for Perez. It’s very telling they didn’t – while they for example did fire Vips from the Red Bull program for a very similar reason.
drmouse (@drmouse)
15th September 2023, 8:45
Perez has no real choice but to “accept” the apology. Marko is a very important man in RBR and calling him out for his comments would only cause trouble for Perez.
I seriously doubt that Marko’s apology was genuine. He is not the kind of person to believe that he did anything wrong.
And even if it was a genuine apology and Perez genuinely accepts it, Hamilton’s comments are still correct: Marko’s comments are completely unacceptable, whether he apologised or not.
A M (@amam)
14th September 2023, 17:00
Whilst we say there’s no room for any type of discrimination within the sport – [and] there should be no room for it – to have leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not good for us moving forwards.
JCost (@jcost)
14th September 2023, 17:07
Marko was showing his true colors, that’s how sees the world and unfortunately he’s not alone.
Good for him Perez is ready to move on.
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th September 2023, 8:05
Strange enough his Geology is very bad not knowing Mecico isn’t south America (I think he was thinking of the hotheaded Spainards instead)
His age is showing it self maybe he should leave after this year (before the new COE fires him)
Raymond Pang
15th September 2023, 10:48
That would be geography.
Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
14th September 2023, 17:34
Meanwhile nobody bets an eye when Verstappen is called ‘rude because he’s Dutch’ or ‘Germans have no sense of humor’. Or when Montoya said European drivers lack focus.
Also this passive agressiveness of Hamilton is exactly what makes him annoying. I really can’t wait for him to not put his nose into business he has no business being in. Is he Perez? No. Is he from South-America (also Mexico isn’t even South-America, but whatever)? No. Move on then. But no, instead he gets to play the victim card for himself and makes this about him again.
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:02
@duuxdeluxe I don’t think you understand ‘passive aggressiveness.’ Saying Marko should have been penalized more for his remarks about Perez is explicit, out in the open. Clearly no love lost between him and Marko whatever. But Hamilton’s right, it was a dumb and discriminatory remark that would see someone lower ranked in many teams get far more severely penalized. Including at Red Bull.
Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
14th September 2023, 18:18
I understand it perfectly well, meanwehile you don’t seem to understand the definition of discrimination and with you many others.
“the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, age, sex, or disability”
I he being treated unjust? No. Is he being treated prejudical? No. What he said is, at most, prejudical, but on its own not discrimination. But the fact that term gets used so easily (and wrongly) shows what’s wrong with the world today. Was it a stupid thing to say in public? Sure, but everyone understands what he means with it. The same way people say that it isn’t a surprise a Ferrari run mostly by Italians makes for a rather hectic and not-smooth operation. The only exception there is that Italians are Europeans and therefor it’s okay to be prejudical about them. At least in the eyes of Hamilton and co.
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:35
@duuxdeluxe
I mean, you attempt to make an argument, flawed as it is, and then finish with some made up nonsense about Hamilton thinking it’s okay to be ‘prejudical’ about Europeans. I mean, to begin with, you realize Hamilton is European right? You accuse him of lying but make up any fake opinion to attribute to him.
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th September 2023, 8:10
Remember Marko stands next to Red Bull Racing so Red Bull can’t tell him anything. But I wonder how long he stays in that position.
F1 frog (@f1frog)
14th September 2023, 19:31
Imagine for a moment that it is not Helmut Marko but a member of Mercedes who had made those comments (pick whoever you like), and then imagine that not Lewis Hamilton but Max Verstappen had given this interview, and be honest with yourself about whether you really would have come to the same conclusion.
MichaelN
14th September 2023, 20:26
Hamilton’s father is from Grenada, and, less relevant, he himself is an honorary citizen of Brazil.
Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
14th September 2023, 17:57
Also he’s completely wrong here. Red Bull did put out a statement. He’s literally creating a fake reality to put Red Bull in a bad light. He should apologize for this, but obviously he won’t. He’s above the rules as always.
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:17
@duuxdeluxe
Difficult to take that comment seriously: you mean Hamilton put Red Bull in a bad light not Marko?!
Also, apologies. Hmm. You realized Perez is backed by fellow Mexican Carlos Slim, multibillionaire, and has sponsorship deals with Mexican companies, none of whom probably took kindly to Marko’s throwaway racism? An apology was the minimum. And actually the minimum, clearly, that Red Bull thought they could get away with in this case.
Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
14th September 2023, 18:21
Your point? Hamilton is lying, I don’t give a hoot about some sob story about Mexican sponsors. Nor did I ask for your opinion and is your comment relevant in any way to mine.
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:30
Well that’s true. Also: I didn’t ask for your opinion, but I had to read it here, and replied.
See how it works? Maybe not.
Is Hamilton ‘lying’? I haven’t read a statement from Red Bull condemning Marko’s remark. Maybe you can supply the link. If I didn’t see it, maybe Hamilton didn’t either.
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:44
Incidentally that has to be the most passive aggressive comment I’ve ever read here, bravo!
SteveR (@stever)
15th September 2023, 1:13
Dude, posting anything here is asking for other opinions.
mystic one (@mysticus)
15th September 2023, 10:54
@david-br
Pick which is one more absurd :)
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 18:06
Having you got some KKK convention to go where you can dribble your racist nonsense on the floor?
Jere (@jerejj)
14th September 2023, 18:09
Good
Stephen Taylor
14th September 2023, 18:17
Marko was incredibly dumb to say what he said . I believe Marko just misindentified Perez a Latin North American as South Americasn beccause people often confuse the two. This geographical misindentification I can forgive however the fact Marko referenced the stereotypes that are often lazily tacked on to people of South American origin is a offensive and the thing he should feel regret over.
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th September 2023, 8:17
I think he was thinking of the Spanish (people from Spain that is how the most Europeans think over the people of South America anyway except of the indigenous people of those countries)
SteveP
14th September 2023, 18:37
Sigh, lots of comments all triggered by a report of responses to, possibly leading, questions in a media session.
Do remember that the initial trigger event appears to be Helmut having forgotten to take his medication.
More usefully, any sign of car changes triggered by TD018 ??
fritz
14th September 2023, 18:49
@Armchair expert of sitting in a armchair.
Your comments make more sense if you
A. Are a racist.
B. If you get paid to comment the way you do.
C. If you are a chattbot from the Twilightzone.
Your opinion is detached from reality, mostly 180. You are scary fast posting pn SLH threads and not particulary good at sitting.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
14th September 2023, 20:25
You just have to see him as a fanatical verstappen fan, I’ve seen comments to the extent of him being 3 tenths a lap faster than anyone else in the grid in the same car, and as hamilton was a tough opponent in 2021 he’s obviously considered the enemy.
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
14th September 2023, 21:01
Or maybe, just maybe, I hate hypocrisy? When Columbian (yes, actual South American) Juan Pablo Montoya in a official F1 video said “European drivers are very weak mentally. You can get in their head really easily.” Lewis Hamilton didn’t say a single thing about JPM or how F1 gives a platform to such opinions. But when Helmut Marko from Red Bull said “He is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max (Verstappen) is or as Sebastian (Vettel).” of course Hamilton finds it unacceptable and worthy of a reaction from FIA and Liberty. This is hypocrisy of the highest magnitude!
These last 2 seasons Hamilton and Wolff are obsessed with undermining the success of Max and Red Bull, using every opportunity to take cheap and pathetic shots at their rivals. Hypocrisy, lying, “Wikipedia facts” (only because Hamilton in 7 dominant years couldn’t win more than 5 in a row hahaha)… It’s so bad coming from a team, which was pretty humble during first 3 years since their return to the sport. Then both Hamilton and Wolff came on board, won a lot due to massive engine advantage, but as soon as they started losing they resort to all sorts of insults thrown at their competitors.
SteveP
14th September 2023, 21:36
Pause. Think.
Did Hamilton get asked what he thought of the comments from Montoya? If no, then maybe he didn’t even know.
Did he perhaps think that dropping to the level that Montoya was at when sniping at Lewis (and other Europeans) was just a waste of time, effort and mental space?
and now, did Hamilton get asked a leading question? The comments certainly sound like responses to questions.
Jimmy Cliff
15th September 2023, 7:16
Since when did not being asked a question ever stop Lewis.
Really can’t believe you are trying to defend the hypocrite Lewis is by such a comment.
Same as “leading question”, how many hours of media training do you think Lewis got – he is now 17 years in F1 so must have gotten thousands of questions including leading questions. If Lewis responds it is because he wants to respond and/or make a comment – it is all deliberate and sadly very singular focused on dimming the bright light of RB/Max at the moment.
Lewis/Toto are continuously lying and twisting the truth and are barely ever called out on it, certainly not by the British media nor most of the people committing here.
fritz
15th September 2023, 9:48
Its Jimmy ” I can’t see clearly” Cliff
I think your theme song is “i want it that way” with Backstreet boys”.
Because Jimmy wants it that way, with Hamilton not allowed to sit in the front of the bus. BTW Jimmy lost and found has your green bomber and doc Martens.
Youre wellcome
Jeffrey Powell
14th September 2023, 22:20
Helmut Marko is a bitter old man who believed he would succeed his friend Jochen Rindt as The next Austrian WDC. His justification for not realising his dream was the serious injury he received that in his mind was the only reason he was not the genuine GOAT. So trying to justify anything this old fool says only makes you seem more ridiculous.
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th September 2023, 8:20
Your could be right on this ……
David BR (@david-br)
14th September 2023, 23:25
@expertoncomfysofas Montoya in your infamous ‘European’ quote was going out of his way to put down Hamilton. Want the full quote?
So Europeans are weak-minded, apart from Alonso and Vettel, who are European but aren’t weak-minded. But there’s Hamilton as an example. And oh – there’s Hamilton again as the only example. Was Schumacher weak-minded? I guess not. Prost? Montoya is silent. But there’s Hamilton! Of course. The one European driver Montoya cites as weak-minded.
And from that you think Hamilton should be defending Europeans? Or himself from Montoya’s weird obsession in downplaying Hamilton’s achievements and Hamilton’s only?
BTW Montoya has 0 championships. Hamilton 7.
Montoya 0. Hamilton 7. Montoya’s problem was that Hamilton had the same talent as Montoya but achieved something with it in Formula 1. Clearly it rankled.
F1 frog (@f1frog)
15th September 2023, 8:34
I think you should write a list of every example of racism in human history and email it to Lewis Hamilton so that he can call them all unacceptable and then he won’t be a hypocrite for picking up on one of them and not them all.
fritz
15th September 2023, 9:58
No maybes. We already know who you hate! The question is who youre trying to con?
Armchair diletant youre so smart you go masquaread partys dressed as diffrent members of the german national socialist party.
PacificPR (@streydt)
14th September 2023, 21:26
@FlyingD You are way out of line.
CP
14th September 2023, 23:14
The lack of basic intelligence in some of these replies is quite something. People trying to defend Marco and secondly dig at Hamilton for his spot on comments.
What a wild world.
I applaud Racefans for not shying away from the issue – well done!
PlosslF1
15th September 2023, 2:21
Your not wrong…. it’s like F1 entered sewer after Silverstone 21.
Yellow Baron
15th September 2023, 6:35
This
G (@unklegsif)
15th September 2023, 7:08
It’s also uplifting to read, dare I say, “better educated” responders, putting them in their place 🤘🏻
PacificPR (@streydt)
15th September 2023, 9:13
FIA’s silence on the matter is quite worrying. What happened with #WeRaceAsOne ? Apart from Hamilton everyone else in F1 seems to be happy to apply the Ostrich tactic. I fear that once Hamilton is retired the FIA will happily forget they ever cared about becoming an inclusive sport (it’s also much more convenient with all their sport-washing friends).
Moshambles (@moshambles)
15th September 2023, 8:44
Add it to the list of reasons to dislike Marko
Todfod (@todfod)
15th September 2023, 10:14
I’m glad Perez has a personal relationship with Marko… because Marko just made things personal!
GnosticBrian (@gnosticbrian)
15th September 2023, 10:15
I remember Helmut Marko’s F1 driving back in the days when he drove for BRM – not what I would describe as highly focussed.
dot_com (@dot_com)
15th September 2023, 13:22
Am I missing something here? I don’t understand why this has spiraled into something so huge? I remember Frank Williams always saying that he likes the South American drivers because of their fiery temperament. Is that not ok anymore? I am a Brit who now lives in the US, and there is always banter about the Brit’s being blah blah and Americans being this or that. I don’t find that offensive or even close to racist. Is this different somehow? I’m not defending Marco because I don’t really like him anyway. Maybe I’m just not understanding some subtext or deeper meaning – it just seems like it’s being blown out of proportion somewhat.
David BR (@david-br)
15th September 2023, 15:32
@dot_com Well, it was a negative comment (not ‘positive’ like Williams’s), Perez isn’t South American, Senna and Fangio -possibly the two greatest ever Formula 1 drivers – were, and Perez is racing for Marko’s own team/group/whatever. So there is that. All before getting onto what Marko was trying to say to denigrate ‘South Americans’ or ‘Mexicans’ (who knows) with his comment.