Hamilton Finds the Absence of F1 and Red Bull Response to "Unacceptable" Marko Racism "Noteworthy"
Marko, a motorsport advisor at Red Bull, stirred controversy after the Italian Grand Prix when he attributed Sergio Perez's inconsistent performance to his ethnicity. Speaking on Red Bull's Servus TV channel, Marko stated, "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)."
Despite the fact that Mexico is in North America, Marko's remarks were widely criticized for their blatant racial stereotyping, leading him to issue an official apology.
Hamilton, who has been a vocal advocate for reducing discrimination in F1, believes that an apology is insufficient and finds it "intriguing" that no action has been taken against Marko, especially when Red Bull has taken action against others for similar incidents.
When asked by Sky if he was surprised that senior figures in F1 had not issued a statement, Hamilton said, "I believe this is not something that can be resolved simply by an apology. I think more needs to be done."
He continued, "I think when teams have had individuals, particularly drivers, make comments, and even some individuals behind the scenes, they usually remove them or at the very least issue a statement saying they do not condone such behavior. So, it's interesting that they haven't done so in this case."
Hamilton pointed out that this is not how his own team operates, saying, "But that's not my team. That's not how we operate as a team. I think it just underscores the importance of continuing the work, the work that I am trying to do with my team and in the sport."
Hamilton referenced a past incident involving former Red Bull reserve driver Juri Vips in 2022, who was dismissed by the team following a racist slur on social media. Teams have also taken swift action in dismissing personnel for racist behavior, such as Mercedes sacking four staff members in 2019 over racist bullying, and Red Bull dismissing an employee last year due to racist WhatsApp messages on social media.
Hamilton emphasized that Marko's comments are detrimental to F1's efforts to become more inclusive and eliminate discrimination, saying, "I mean, what he said is completely unacceptable. While we say there is no room for any type of discrimination within the sport, and there shouldn't be, having leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not conducive to our progress."
He concluded, "So, it just highlights, first of all, the work that still needs to be done. There are many people behind the scenes who are truly working to combat these kinds of issues. But it's difficult to make progress when individuals at the top hold such mindsets."
>>> Read more: Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023: Timing, Event Schedule, Television Network, And Live Streaming Information For Race Week
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