A rare mea culpa from Helmut Marko following his post-race comments in reaction to Lewis Hamilton's 'brake test' claim.

Speaking at the end of Sunday's controversial Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen was being summoned by the stewards following the incident on Lap 37 when the Dutchman was alleged by his title rival to have brake tested him, Helmut Marko reacted angrily to the Mercedes driver's claim.

"Our engineers are preparing, we can prove Max was constant with his braking, he didn't brake test like Hamilton said," said the Austrian, according to Autosport.

"Then he crashed into our car," he insisted. "He unfortunately put two cuts in the rear tyre, that was so severe that we couldn't attack anymore. We had to take speed out."

However, the stewards subsequently hit the Dutch driver with a 10s time penalty, deeming that he had indeed "braked suddenly and significantly".

"At the time of the television interview, I passed on exactly the information that I had previously received from the engineers. They obviously weren't right, so I'm sorry," Marko now tells F1insider.

"Hopefully the sad chapter of Saudi Arabia has now closed," he adds. "In any case, we're just looking ahead. We want to win in Abu Dhabi and so win the title.

"We will do everything for this, but we will not take any unfair actions. In Saudi Arabia we already had the pace to keep up with Hamilton. The route in Abu Dhabi should be more accommodating to us."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by CL, 10/12/2021 8:27

"“I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that.”"

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2. Posted by kenji, 09/12/2021 8:20

"@ Defiant...Once upon a time I followed Red Bull, not because I really liked them a great deal, but that they were new and exciting..doing it differently. That was combined with my following Mark Webber. When they screwed hi over I lost all faith in them, that included Horner and Marko. All that aside my career in the publishing/film and TV entertainment business conditioned me to the 'real' areas of cut throat businesses and their management. Believe me when I say...nothing is left on the table. That is mirrored in F1. Nothing is left for the hapless or the hopeless. I don't get mired too deeply in the internecine wars being played out...that's business after all but I do get a laugh at those who are looking for 'respect'..an over worked descriptor if ever there was one!. As Bob Dylan said ' dignity left the room' The only thing that matters is winning and what we are seeing played out right now is simply that.All the actors congregated in the final scene of episode 23. Enjoy."

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3. Posted by Jet Jockey, 08/12/2021 23:08

"@ Bill Hopgood... Yes in years past Ferrari International Assistance, Max Mosley and Ecclestone were certainly there to help Ferrari and at some of the very low points in that assistance the screwed McLaren big time (spygate). However, I don't recall the constant BS, lying and whining from the principals of other high ranking officials at Ferrari like we see from Red Bull... Just my opinion."

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4. Posted by Defiant, 08/12/2021 19:43

"@Bill Hopgood you beat me to it. I was going to say, as much as I am disappointed in RB (as ive supported the team since the Stewart days) right now, they are no where close to the worst team. The red team had that in the bag years ago and won't let that title get away from them. Ferrari international assistance is just refocussed on creating a tv show currently, letting the red guys hide in the background for a bit. "

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5. Posted by BillH, 08/12/2021 17:48

"@jet jockey, Red Bull are certainly not the worst team ever in F1 when it comes to what one could at best describe as "gamesmanship". For me Ferrari would take that award though that could be because they have been around longer.
Some F1 fans even refer to the FIA as standing for Ferrari International Assistance. We still don't know what happened in regard to the findings of the 2019 investigation into Ferrari's PU.

@stitch431, Verstappen applied 69 bar to the brake pedal when a car was directly behind him so with that data it doesn't matter about the personalities of the stewards involved. The decision to penalise was pretty simple.

All Helmet Marko had to say was:
"I apologise for my comments straight after the race regarding the brake test alegations against our driver. I was wrong"."

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6. Posted by Stitch431, 08/12/2021 16:34

"Ps. There was footage from the incident available and looking at it
1. it was clear that Verstappen was breaking (after slowing down and changing gear three times), but did not do so erratically.
2. there was an ocean of room and plenty of possibility for Lewis to pass Max (normally he does not let go of an opportunity with only half of it).
It was obvious that both of them did not want to pass the DRS line in front. They both made a clearly visible mistake, and they both! should have been penalized.
However, Gary Connoly has a long record of penalizing Max for at least dubious situations ever since Max entered F1. This was just another one to add to his sorry score.
In my opinion, the stewards should be impartial. Therefore FIA I ask you not to call English or Dutch stewards, and no one who has direct ties to either Mercedes or Red Bull."

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7. Posted by Stitch431, 08/12/2021 16:25

"That shows he has balls. We are still waiting for Toto to apologize for his Brasil outrage in front of the cameras. There were billions of children watching this ..."

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8. Posted by Spindoctor, 08/12/2021 16:15

"
Marko: "I passed on exactly the information that I had previously received from the engineers. They obviously weren't right,...."

I find it hard to believe that RBR's Engineers are so inept as to have missed Verstappen's 2.4g braking in the telemetry, especially as it ignited a huge controversy. FIA found it in short-order after the race. I therefore find it harder to believe that '...they [RBR Engineers] weren't right...'

This deceitful remark wasn't made by a young man in the heat of an intense race, but by an elderly "Leader" who should have known better.
A boss who is happy to drop his staff in it (Max excepted) in Public to save his own skin is contemptible & unlikely to engender much loyalty & zero affection. That he did so largely to undermine the integrity & reputation of a competitor tells us everything we need to know about his notions of "Sport" & "Sportsmanship"."

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9. Posted by Ted Baker, 08/12/2021 14:45

"Marko is a bit of a nightmare, yet again has opened his mouth before putting his brain in gear. It is well known that crossing Marko is not good for your "career prospects" so Christian is between a rock and a hard place. Of course he has to support his driver and has to do this also to support the team that pays his wages.
Therefore, there must sadly, I believe , be a lot of influence from Marko as to what Christian says in interviews and press conferences which is an unenviable position to be in.
The sooner Marko retires the better. He is having the effect of turning Red Bull fans away from the team where Christian, who is getting tarred with the same brush, has done wonders with the old Jaguar team in winning championships and is close to it again."

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10. Posted by ClarkwasGod, 08/12/2021 13:28

"Sounds like someone "on high" had a quiet word in Dr. H's ear.....about time too."

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11. Posted by Jet Jockey, 08/12/2021 13:19

"The most toxic team ever in F1, managed by two people (Horner and Marko) that will stop at nothing to discredit its opponents and finally most likely the dirtiest driver of all time in Formula 1 being fed the hate from within his own team and father.

Marko apologizing several days after he had gone on multimedia platforms accusing yet again Lewis for something he had not done means nothing to most people.

I'd be willing to bet that someone high enough with the Red Bull machine/marketing is starting to feel the heat from all the negative press they are getting from the Red Bull F1 team and have perhaps started to clamp down on the two leading clowns running it.
"

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12. Posted by Hobgoblin, 08/12/2021 12:04

""We will do everything for this, but we will not take any unfair actions"
Trouble is, Marko's concept of fair/unfair may be a little skewed by who is taking the action..."

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13. Posted by Italian Job, 08/12/2021 11:44

"Is Helmut Marko trying to hide something? Otherwise, why would he try to close down a topic that would be expected to run and run?"

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14. Posted by Superbird70, 08/12/2021 11:26

"Very nice. Blame your engineers. That's leadership."

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Marko apologises

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