“Not an Employee of RBR”: After Hamilton’s Accusations, Horner Shrewdly Absolves Red Bull of Guilt in Marko-Perez Fiasco

Well, it was about time that Helmut Marko realized the gravity of certain things he’d said. The Austrian ex-racing driver has been an integral part of the Red Bull story in Formula 1 and as a consequence has embedded himself in the annals of F1 history. But with that comes a certain degree of responsibility. Many wondered where Marko’s unchecked behavior would end, and it seems as though he’s finally been told where he stands.

Marko has gotten himself stuck in a pretty awkward situation after his comments about Sergio Perez’s nationality went viral. So much so that even after a public and private apology to Checo, Lewis Hamilton brutally called the Austrian out. Now, in the aftermath of this whole fiasco, team principal, Christian Horner has finally broken his silence and it would appear as though the Bulls have drawn a line now between themselves and Marko.

Horner distances Red Bull and himself from Helmut Marko

Surprisingly, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit released no statement of their own after Marko’s distasteful comments went viral. However, at the Singapore GP, the Austrian’s accounts were re-narrated to the Brit and he was asked to comment on his and the team’s silence.

Horner shrewdly responded to Sky Sports F1 by saying, “From Helmut’s perspective, he’s apologized. He’s not an employee of Red Bull Racing so in terms of why didn’t we put out a statement: He’s part of the Red Bull wider group and the group obviously issued that apology through the ServusTV channel.”

Read More: Amid Perez Controversy, Marko Labeled “Loose Cannon” for Going Against Horner’s Approach

Even though Horner tried to mitigate the outburst from Marko’s comments, Lewis Hamilton was quick to call the Bulls’ hypocrisy out.

Lewis Hamilton calls out two-faced Red Bull

Hamilton has been a champion for the fight against racism. He’s been fighting for inclusivity and diversity but he’s also in a battle with Red Bull. And when the Bulls decided to keep silent in the wake of Marko’s comments about their own driver, Hamilton chose the right words to call them out on their hypocrisy.

Referring to Red Bull sacking Juri Vips for racist comments made on a Twitch stream in the past, Hamilton was quoted by Motorsport.com as saying, “I think teams, when they’ve had individuals, particularly drivers, make comments but [also] some individuals in the back room, they usually are removed or at least they put out a quote and say they don’t support that sort of thing.”

Should Red Bull have sacked Marko for his comments, or do you agree with Horner’s assessment of the situation?

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