Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton has harshly criticized Helmut Marko for his “completely unacceptable” statement to Red Bull driver Sergio Perez. The 80-year-old Styrian and Red Bull consultant incorrectly described Perez as a South American in a TV interview and accused him of lacking focus.
Marko’s words are “nothing you just apologize for and everything is okay,” said the 38-year-old Briton on Thursday before the Grand Prix in Singapore. “When leaders make such statements, it is not good for our future. I think it shows the work that still needs to be done,” added Hamilton. There are a lot of people in the background who would try to combat this. “But it’s hard to maneuver when there are people at the top who have that kind of mindset that just keeps us from progressing.”
Before the Singapore GP on Sunday, many fans in Mexico even called for the Austrian to be removed. Marko apologized for his words via ServusTV – and also personally to Perez. “I got an apology from him, a direct apology, which was the most important thing for me,” Perez said Thursday. “I know him and I know he doesn’t mean it.”
