MARKO MUST QUIT TALKING ABOUT PEREZ.

Sergio Perez cannot keep experiencing this.
A senior member of Red Bull’s Formula 1 team should not have to grin and bear his disparaging remarks.
He deserves better than that. Helmut Marko needs to stop referring to him in this manner.

Marko’s criticism of Perez’s purported “Mexican mentality” is just the most recent in a string of disparaging remarks about Perez’s origins.

In order to reflect Marko’s apology to Perez for his “offensive remarks,” this piece has been updated from the version that was originally published.

A partial list includes joking that Perez may have been drinking tequila the night before the French Grand Prix because he was “asleep” at a safety car restart; saying that Perez has ups and downs because he is “South American” and repeating that same point (and geographic error) with a comment; and suggesting that Perez need not be scared about the nearby missile strike in Saudi Arabia last year because Mexico City, the city from which Perez is not even originally, is.

According to Austrian media outlet oe24, Marko seemed to have (inadvertently?) doubled down by saying he just meant a Mexican has a different mentality than a German or a Dutchman, which is exactly what everyone inferred from his original comment in the first place, in an apparent justification or attempted clarification of that most recent statement.
Hence, the debate.

Marko appears to be genuinely baffled as to why this is a problem.
And that’s basically the issue.
Even though its initial public inaction and silence drew criticism (more on that later), Red Bull Racing is unquestionably not in the dark about this issue. Marko was eventually persuaded to apologize for making an “offensive remark” for this reason.

Examining or even criticizing Perez’s performance as an F1 driver is one thing.
It’s quite another to sloppily claim that his perceived flaws are caused by his Mexican heritage.

If Marko intended to offend Perez or anyone else, it would seem strange. But it doesn’t really matter, not least because someone so well-known who has done this repeatedly is not excused by ignorance.

He emphasizes that he opposes generalizing about people of any nation, race, or ethnicity in the apology that is ultimately shared on Marko’s behalf.
The fact that Marko believes the “Mexican mentality” is not only real but also must be taken into account in explaining issues with Perez’s performances is evident from his many prior grades.

It was likely a random observation to him.
Not at all. It gave concrete form to the idea of anti-Mexican sentiment and demonstrated the threat’s validity.

Earlier, Perez discussed this. Prior to joining F1, he primarily encountered it.
But the issue has continued to be an issue. And if anyone thought it was fictionalized, Marko’s comments provide a blatant refutation.

This cannot simply be dismissed by saying that “they are a product of their time.”. Marko is a well-known individual with enormous influence and reach who frequently receives significant platforms to discuss Formula One and everything Red Bull.
He has added weight to his words, which have the potential to hurt Perez more than before.

Why Red Bull Racing didn’t take action right away may have been a mystery to you.
The short answer is that he does not work for Red Bull Racing.
He is not their authorized spokesperson.
He works as an advisor for the parent company Red Bull GmbH and previously reported only to Dietrich Mateschitz, the head of the Red Bull F1 organization and Marko’s close friend.

Marko therefore exists independently of the Red Bull Racing organizational structure, even though he does represent the Red Bull brand when he appears on Red Bull’s channels, wears Red Bull team gear at races, and exerts obvious influence over Red Bull’s F1 operation.

He has previously been given permission by the Red Bull side to be a loose cannon.
Marko is therefore not answerable to anyone at Red Bull Racing, and even if it wanted to, it could not take action against him on its own.

Putting out a statement separating the team from his remarks or denouncing him seems very simple on the surface.
It cannot, however, if the team lacks the necessary power.
In its dealings with Marko, it must take the lead from Red Bull GmbH.

In the past, only the parent company of Red Bull could solve that issue, but it never did.
The reason it has now is that it can.

There’s a new broom sweeping through Red Bull. There have already been suggestions of Marko locking horns with Oliver Mintzlaff, the chief executive of corporate projects and investments whose remit covers the Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri F1 operations.

Absorbing the F1 teams into a more corporate set-up means the likes of Marko suddenly exist in a defined structure, where accountability is not optional. Marko wasn’t a fan of that when it started – following Mateschitz’s passing – and although he has played down any rift since then, matters like this are only going to stress test that relationship.

This was an opportunity for Red Bull GmbH to show who is really in charge and to show what kind of company it wants to be. It marks a serious shift that Marko was pushed to take responsibility for what he has said.

If Red Bull had taken no action, then Red Bull Racing would probably have had to toe the party line as well. Marko would remain unchecked, have been able to shrug it off as an unexpected fuss, and the cycle would likely repeat.

Perez, among others, deserves more than that. Red Bull was right to stand by its driver and stand up to a previously untouchable figure.