Different workforce bosses additionally condemned the phrases spoken by Marko in a ServusTV interview wherein he linked Sergio Perez’s type to his cultural heritage, and angered the driving force’s fellow Mexicans by putting the nation in South reasonably than North America.
The feedback created a stir on social media and led to a public statement from Marko as well as a personal apology to Perez.
Requested by Autosport concerning the matter in an FIA press convention in Singapore, all of the F1 workforce bosses pressured Marko was within the improper.
“Stereotyping nowadays would not work anymore,” stated Haas workforce principal Guenther Steiner. “We have to be cautious what we are saying.
“Generally it’s extremely tough to do, as a result of what you say, you do not imply it, and then you definately should not say it, clearly, for those who’re conscious of it.
“I did not hear it, as a result of I may have understood in German the way it was stated, so I simply learn it, and perhaps in translation it perhaps sounds completely different.
“However I believe it’s what it’s. And I believe they’re coping with it. And I used to be shocked to listen to that Mexico was in South America!”
Wolff made it clear that he took the matter very severely, and that it was not good for F1 as a complete.
“We’re laughing about South America,” stated the Austrian. “However it’s a subject that is under no circumstances humorous. And it isn’t solely what has been stated, but it surely’s the mindset, that you would be able to even give you these items. And that hasn’t received anywhere in F1.
“That is not one thing that ought to have been stated up to now, and positively not now, and sooner or later.
Sergio Perez, Purple Bull Racing, with Helmut Marko, Marketing consultant, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“Everyone knows that we want extra variety in F1, extra inclusion, and the groups do their greatest to create an surroundings the place that is potential. And clearly statements like this do not shine the sunshine on F1 that F1 deserves for the entire actions.”
Alfa Romeo workforce boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi stated F1 has to work collectively to handle such points, whereas acknowledging that his countrymen have been the topic of nationwide stereotyping.
“For me, it is crucial, as F1, as a group, we have to be respectful,” he stated. “We began a path all collectively going to in the direction of variety and inclusion. And this have to be factual.
“We do not want simply to have a technique in place. We have to have behaviours that present to folks how we worth this in F1, and we have to be cautious easy methods to remark issues.
“I am Italian. So I do know that typically we now have been dealing with the identical feedback as Italians. I believe that everybody have to be revered.
“We’re all working onerous, we’re all attempting to show that we are able to do job right here in F1 at any degree from drivers to folks. We simply want to indicate actually inclusion and to indicate that F1 is an open group, the place everyone can discover his or her place.”
McLaren’s Zak Brown echoed his colleagues: “It was not an ideal remark, you’ll be able to perceive why folks had been offended by it. I did not hear it myself. I’ve solely learn it. However you need to be very
respectful of everybody, and never make feedback that may be considered inappropriately.”
In a separate Sky Sports activities F1 interview Marko’s Purple Bull colleague Christian Horner made it clear that he didn’t approve of what was stated, whereas stressing that the veteran Austrian has discovered from it.
“Firstly these feedback, they weren’t proper,” he stated. “Helmut rapidly recognised that and apologised for that each publicly and on to Sergio.
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Marketing consultant, Purple Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Staff Principal, Purple Bull Racing, within the storage
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“He spoke on to Sergio about it, and I believe you are at all times studying in life, even at 80 years of age, and inevitably classes have been discovered.
“Checo is a massively well-liked member of our workforce, he is an necessary member of our workforce and we pushed very onerous to signal him again for the 2021 season.
“We have now an enormous following all over the world and we take that very severely, very responsibly and the fan following not simply that Checo has however the workforce has and F1 has, we’re very aware of. That is his 250th race, we need to deal with that.”
Concerning the dearth of an official remark from the workforce itself, he stated: “From Helmut’s perspective, he is apologised. He is not an worker of Red Bull Racing, so when it comes to why did not we put out an announcement, he is a part of the Purple Bull wider group, and the group issued that apology by way of the ServusTV channel.”