Marko apologises for offensive comments about Perez

LONDON: Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, one of the leading figures in the dominant Formula One team, apologised on Friday (Sep 8) for blaming Mexican driver Sergio Perez's fluctuating form on his ethnicity.

The 80-year-old Austrian, a former racer who was a close friend of Red Bull's late owner Dietrich Mateschitz, issued a formal statement via the website.

"I would like to apologise for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity," he said.

"I was trying to make a point that Checo (Perez) has fluctuated in his performance this year, but it was wrong to attribute this to his cultural heritage."

Marko had made his remarks on the energy drink company's television station following last weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"We know that he 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) is or as Sebastian (Vettel)," he said then.

It was not the first time Marko has referred to Perez as a South American, although the Mexican comes from Guadalajara which is geographically in North America.

South America has also produced more Formula One world champions than any country other than Britain and some of the sport's greatest drivers.

An attempt by Marko to clarify his comments only dug a deeper hole.

The website on Friday reported Marko as saying: "It wasn't meant that way. I meant that a Mexican has a different mentality than a German or a Dutchman. But who knows, maybe it’s controlled."

The initial comments made headlines in Mexico and across the internet.

Mexican Grand Prix organisers expressed their