14/09/2023
NEWS STORY
Sergio Perez says he has accepted Helmut Marko's apology for comments he made regarding the Red Bull driver's ethnicity.
In a move that caused outrage on social media, and even here on Pitpass, the Austrian suggested that the Mexican was not as focussed as the team's two world champions, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, because he was from South America.
While Mexico is in North America, the fact remained that the Austrian was essentially questioning the focus of the likes of Ayrton Senna, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Pique and Juan Manuel Fangio.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Perez said that he has received a personal apology from Marko and hopes to move on.
"I had a private conversation with him," Perez told reporters. "He did apologise. And that to me was the main thing.
"Basically, we move on," he continued. "I have a personal relationship with him. And I think you can always have those feelings when you see that sort of stuff.
"Knowing the person helps a lot, because I know he doesn't mean it that way," he added. "I took his apology, because I know Helmut from the personal relationship that we have that he doesn't mean it that way."
Asked if he had been offended by Marko's comments, he insisted: "Not at all, if I'm totally honest. Knowing Helmut, like I say, have a personal relationship with him. I know, he doesn't mean it that way. And I didn't get offended at all personally. Let's say if those comments were from a different perspective or so on, I would have to take them differently. To me, it's just how things are, and I didn't take them personally.
"Whatever I say to the media, or he says to the media, is different to the conversations we have. We have a good relationship and I know that is not related to that side.
"Like I say, Helmut I did apologise, I think we all make mistakes. And what to me was the most important thing is that I take his apology, his personal apology. What happens afterwards, and on the media side or on the public, that's not in my control. To me, the most important is the personal relationship.
"We will always have a chat on track, off-track, here and there. We see each other pretty much every weekend. He will tell you what he thinks. I think something that we can appreciate from Helmut is that he is very transparent, to the media and to the world in general, and also to the drivers. So it's just how he is."
However, while Perez accepts Marko's apology, Lewis Hamilton - not in any way seeking to destabilise his rivals - suggests the Austrian's comments were "unacceptable".
"Whilst we say there is no room for any type of discrimination within this sport which there should be - no room for it - to have leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not good for us moving forwards," the seven-time world champion told Sky Sports.
"It's completely unacceptable what he said," he added. "I think it highlights, firstly, the work that still needs to be done.
"There are a lot of people in the background that really are trying to combat these sorts of things but it's hard to manoeuvre if there are people in the top that have those sort of mind-sets, that just stop us from progressing. I'm not surprised, to be honest.
"I don't know what was said beyond, that's something to ask Checo," said the Briton, "but I think this is not something that you just apologise for and it's all ok. I think there needs to be more done.
"Teams, when they've had individuals, particularly drivers, make comments but also some individuals in the background, 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.
"It just shows how important it is that we continue to do the work. The work that I'm trying to do with my team and with the sport. We still have a lot of work to do moving forward to make sure that this is a more inclusive environment."