Despite Perez Accepting Apology, Hamilton Demands Stern Action Against Marko After Red Bull Fails to Condemn Shameful Behavior

Have you ever heard a set of statements said in reference to another that, in society, shouldn’t have made sense? That’s exactly what Lewis Hamilton felt about Helmut Marko’s apology in response to his cancel-worthy statements against Sergio Perez. In a sport as progressive as Formula 1, hearing xenophobic slurs thrown around would be the last thing we could expect. But just as Red Bull has defied the odds on track this season, Marko decided to defy the odds off track, too.

“We know that [Perez] has problems in qualifying. He has fluctuations in form. He is South American, and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] or as Sebastian [Vettel].” What did Red Bull do in response? Nothing. And Hamilton was having none of it.

Lewis Hamiton called out Red Bull for its non-actions

This season has been tough for Sergio Perez. After getting off to a good start, the Mexican started making costly errors. Since they started popping up frequently, he’s been receiving loads of criticism. But none as harsh as Marko’s comments. Despite the implications, Perez revealed, “I had a one-on-one conversation with him. He apologized. That was the most important thing for me. Now let’s put that behind us. I have a personal relationship with him. I know he doesn’t mean it that way. And I personally didn’t get offended at all.”

Whether or not he got offended, Hamilton sure did. The seven-time champion has been an advocate for inclusivity, diversity, and equality for a long time. Seeing such comments flying under the radar, with Red Bull taking no action, Hamilton expressed his thoughts. In an interview with Sky Sports, as quoted by ESPN, he said, “I think this is not something that you just apologize [for], and it’s all OK. I think there needs to be more done.” 

“Teams, when they’ve had individuals make comments, they usually are removed. Or, at least, they put out a quote and say they don’t support that sort of thing. So it is interesting that they haven’t done so for this one. But it’s not my team, and it’s not how we move as a team,” added Hamilton. He believes F1 still has a long way to go regarding its actions in response to such incidents. Instances like these set the sport so far back that taking action becomes necessary. While Hamilton expressed his concerns, a Red Bull key figure defended the team’s non-actions.

Read More: While Hamilton Lashes Out at Marko Over “Unacceptable” Comments, Verstappen Refuses to “Educate” Red Bull’s Taskmaster

Christian Horner justified Red Bull’s radio silence 

After Helmut Marko made the comments he did, the Austrian received quite a lot of backlash. Following his private apology to Perez, he even went on air and tried to make amends. He said, “I would like to apologize for my offensive remark and make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalize about people from any country, race, or 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.”

Christian Horner gave his two cents in response to the backlash Red Bull was getting for not taking action. He said, “He is not part of Red Bull Racing. That is why we did not put out a statement. However, he is part of the bigger Red Bull Company Group, for which they have put out a comment. There is a code of conduct, ethics, and sporting code, and we have communicated with FOM and the FIA over the past few days. It’s now for them to touch on.”

Despite Helmut Marko not being a member of Red Bull Racing, should the team have put out a statement?

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