Helmut Marko claims Sergio Perez’s ‘head is not focused’ because he is a South American

Sergio Perez was allegedly racially abused by Helmut Marko as the Austrian tried to explain why Checo has fallen behind Max Verstappen in the points table despite driving the same car.


Helmut Marko claims Sergio Perez’s ‘head is not focused’ because he is a South American

Formula One has since long been a sport reserved for the elitist European aristocrats. Until very recently, the pinnacle of motorsports was a luxury that the common people all around the world were prevented from watching. But when Bernie Ecclestone sold the rights to the F1 franchise to Liberty Media, a paradigm shift was noticed in the viewership of the series. Now, Formula One is a global phenomenon, with fans at every corner of the world. But some people, like Helmut Marko, prove through their statements that F1 is not truly free of discrimination yet.

In a sport where there is only one Black racer in this age and era, Formula One is trying their best to be more inclusive. Even considering the gender bias, female racers are being given opportunities through the F1 Academy series to rise to the level of Formula 1 for the first time in history. But it is the comments of some people who still cling on to the old beliefs filled with racism and sexism that hold F1 back from advancing. And that is exactly what happened when Red Bull Chief Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko spoke about Sergio Perez, a proud Mexican racer who is currently in the coveted spot at Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate.

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Sergio Perez’s gap to Verstappen in terms of speed, even though both of them drive the same RB-19, has been subject to widespread discussion. Checo’s fans have argued that Red Bull are supplying him with a limited version of the actual car that Max is driving, and some others have said that the Mexican cannot match up to the Dutch lion in terms of skill. But Helmut Marko said, “Let’s remember that he [Perez] is South American, and that’s why his head is not as focused as Max’s or Sebastian’s.” (Quote translated by Google)

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Related: Sergio Perez reveals the root cause of his drop in performance amidst sabotage conspiracies

Helmut Marko is not the first person to open air their racist thoughts targeting an F1 racer

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Sergio Perez and Helmut Marko (via Twitter)

Helmut Marko bringing up Sergio Perez‘s Latin American origin as the cause behind his lack of speed in comparison with Max Verstappen has been an utterly low blow. But, unfortunately, F1 has seen a similar incident transpire when Brazilian F1 Champion Nelson Piquet called Lewis Hamilton, the first and only Black F1 racer in history, a ‘neguinho’, which is a racially offensive term. Piquet was held responsible for his comments and he was ordered by a Brazilian court to pay almost $1 million as a fine for causing “moral damages”.

Joining Nelson Piquet, Helmut Marko has come out as the latest personnel related to F1 who harbors age-old racist thoughts. Till now, Marko has not spoken about his take on the incident. Neither has any official steps been taken to hold Helmut Marko responsible. But it remains to be seen how Red Bull handle the situation and if they remove Marko from his position as their Chief Advisor in the wake of this incident.

In case you missed it:

Helmut Marko blames Sergio Perez’s lack of self-confidence for his failure to capture podium every weekend

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