Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has insisted he won’t answer any questions at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix regarding his recent xenophobic comments, which were made against Sergio Perez.
Ahead of Formula 1’s trip to Singapore, Marko stated that Perez lacks focus compared to the likes of reigning World Champion Max Verstappen because he’s “South American”, something which isn’t just xenophobic, but is also factually incorrect.
Perez was born in Mexico and is therefore from North America, not South America has stated by the 80-year-old.
Marko has received significant criticism and backlash for his completely inappropriate comment, although he has since attempted to apologise.
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The Austrian is clearly in no mood to discuss his xenophobic comments this weekend, where he’s already revealed he’ll ignore any questions about what he said.
“If there are any questions, I won’t answer them,” Marko told f1-insider.com.
“I will only talk about sporting matters.”
It’s set to be a very tense weekend for Red Bull, given how many surprises have been thrown up in Singapore in recent years.
Perez was actually victorious in Singapore last season, whereas Verstappen could only finish seventh following a messy race.
Verstappen is hoping to extend his winning streak to 11 races on Sunday, although he’s actually never won at the Marina Bay Circuit.
Should Verstappen falter, then it’ll be down to Perez to continue Red Bull’s domination.
“A lot can always happen there,” Marko said. “Max has never won in Singapore either.”
Four corners have been removed for this season to make a new overtaking opportunity in the final sector, something which has resulted in the famous Turns 18 and 19 under the stand taken away.
This will also make the track faster, with Marko noting that Ferrari are a big concern for Red Bull this weekend.
Ferrari were very quick at the recent Italian Grand Prix and even claimed pole position, they were also fast in Singapore 12 months ago and finished second and third.
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Singapore is seen as Red Bull’s final test stopping them from winning every race this season, something which Marko is clearly very much aware of.
“Corners 16 to 19 have been eliminated,” Marko added. “This makes the course faster and more unpredictable for us.
“But what worries me most is Ferrari. They were already very strong in Monza. So if we get through Singapore on a positive note, I can sleep a little more soundly.”