Ex-F1 team manager urges Red Bull to fire Helmut Marko
Joan Villadelprat isn't a fan of Helmut Marko's behaviors in F1 the paddock.
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Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)
Joan Villadelprat, the former manager of Formula 1 teams like Tyrrell, Benetton, and Prost GP, has asked Red Bull to let go of Helmut Marko. Villadelprat, having already worked with Marko in the past, has criticized the Austrian’s mentality and attitude toward young drivers. The Spaniard exposed Marko for being hard on his drivers and not trying to make a relationship with them.
After the rumors floated regarding Red Bull allegedly trying to dismiss him over conflicts with the team principal, Christian Horner, Marko has been found making statements about his contract with the team. Marko thinks he can stay in his position for as long as he wants. However, the Austrian is already not part of the team’s youth program and works as an external consultant for the energy drink brand.
Villadelprat, in an interview with PlanetF1, said, “Helmut Marko must be removed from the team. Every time he opens his mouth, the only thing he does is pick. Often a pilot in trouble doesn’t need anyone to tell him it’s useless.” he continued. “There are people who need to be hammered to be motivated, but others don’t.” He believes Marko is not suited anymore for his job. He also shared some personal experiences with him in that interview.
The ex-team boss said, “I had Jaime Alegersuari and Brendon Hartley. I know well the pressure he puts on young people, it’s completely useless. He thinks that by yelling and doing that kind of thing he will get a relationship, but that’s not the case: he destroys people instead of supporting them.” He also thinks Marko’s pressure on Sergio Perez is not helping him. He, in fact, muses it’s destroying the Mexican’s confidence.
Joan Villadeprat’s suggestions to Sergio Perez to improve his performance
The other Red Bull driver, Perez, is not having his best season in F1 despite his teammate Max Verstappen dominating almost all races this year. The ex-team boss believes Perez’s performance can improve drastically if he has the car specs, according to him. He said when a driver wins for his team, the team wants to develop the car around him only.
Villadeprat shed light on the time when Perez asked for his car specifications, saying, “You cannot split the team. I read that Checo was asking for the car specification to go back to when he was comfortable.” He further added that cars also don’t get enough time on track before races like they did in the old times. This can be a major factor why Red Bull might be scared to fulfill Perez his demands.
The Spaniard said in closing that Perez is still the best choice for a teammate to Verstappen. He believes maybe Alonso can be better, but Perez is still the best option for the team.
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