Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko issues apology for xenophobic comments against Sergio Perez

After an extremely inappropriate comment on Sergio Perez's ethnicity, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has retracted his statement and issued an apology.

During an interview with ServusTV, Marko shockingly stated that Mexican Sergio Perez's fluctuation in qualifying sessions was due to the fact that he was South American while comparing him to Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. He said (via BBC):

“The Italian GP was surely one of Checo Perez’s best weekends and we know about his problems in qualifying, which is where he has his doubts. Let’s remember that he is South American and so his head is not as focused as Max Verstappen or as Sebastian Vettel was, but racing is his forte and he had a very good race."

The comment about Sergio Perez's focus simply because he was South American, despite Mexico being a North American country, was way out of line from Marko. He rightly received heavy criticism from many fans on the internet while many also urged Red Bull to kick him out.

Helmut Marko was forced to apologize for his racial remark against Checo. Through ServusTV, he made a statement that read (via BBC):

"I would like to apologize for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity. I was trying to make a point that Checo has fluctuated in his performance this year, but it was wrong to attribute this to his cultural heritage."

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Sergio Perez opens up about his future with Red Bull and changing teams

Throughout the 2023 F1 season, there have been speculations over Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull. The Mexican recently opened up about his options.

He stated that he would continue with the team as long as he felt that he was making a significant contribution. If that wasn't the case, Perez added, he would start looking for alternatives.

"I think that now, with the season we’ve had, it’s important in the next races to be in an environment where I feel I can contribute. And if that place in 2024 isn’t here, then we have to look for alternatives. But for now, my main focus is to stay here and win more races. And keep on winning Championships with Red Bull," he told DAZN Espana.

Sergio Perez is currently second in the championship with 219 points, while his teammate Max Verstappen is leading the table with 364 points.