The FIA has warned Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko over comments he made regarding the team’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez.
Speaking about Perez’s “fluctuations in form” at Monza, Marko had added: “he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max (Verstappen) is or as Sebastian (Vettel)”.
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It’s not the first time Marko has referred to the Mexican as South American, but he also further compounded the issue with later similar comments, leading to a statement of apology towards Perez that the driver said he had accepted earlier this week.
Now, the FIA has confirmed that an official written warning was sent to Marko, reminding him of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport, citing the governing body’s Code of Ethics.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had previously told Sky Sports why the team itself had been reluctant to make a statement on Marko’s comments.
“I know he regrets what he said,” Horner said. “He has apologized. Even at 80 years of age, it is not too late to learn.
“Helmut is not an employee of Red Bull Racing. That’s why didn’t we put out a statement. He is part of the wider Red Bull Group and they put that apology out through their Servus TV channel.”
Alongside Horner, Marko is listed as a director of Red Bull Racing on the United Kingdom’s Companies House website.