Red Bull's Marko makes 'interesting' Norris claim and gives Perez update

Helmut Marko, Sergio Perez, Lando Norris collage — Photo: © LAT Images

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Red Bull's Marko makes 'interesting' Norris claim and gives Perez update

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko will only discuss 'sporting matters' in Singapore

Jay Winter

Thursday 14 September 2023 06:57

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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has stated that he will not address the recent controversy surrounding his comments about Sergio Perez ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

Marko, who suggested to Servus TV that Perez is "less focused" than his team-mate Max Verstappen due to him being "South American", apologised to his driver last week.

Now, Marko has opted to focus solely on "sporting matters" at the upcoming race.

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"If there are questions about that, I will not answer them," he said to F1-Insider.

"I will only talk about sporting matters."

Addressing those sporting matters, Marko admitted he's concerned about the unpredictability of the Singapore street circuit.

"A lot can always happen there," he said.

"Verstappen has never won in Singapore. Last year, there was a misunderstanding with him during qualifying, and that pretty much sealed the race.

"Fortunately, Sergio then secured the win."

Perez claimed victory ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix

The recent changes to the Singapore circuit have added to the challenges faced by teams, making the track faster and more unpredictable.

"Recently, they removed turns 16 to 19. This makes the course faster and more unpredictable for us," he explained.

"However, my biggest concern is Ferrari. They were very strong in Monza.

"What's clear is that if we come through Singapore positively, I can sleep a bit easier."

Norris will be 'very interesting'

A rumour which has recently been circulating the paddock is that British talent Lando Norris could be moving to Red Bull in the future. Marko has previously admitted that Norris would be a great fit for his side and now confirmed that a lot of teams will be interested in the 23-year-old.

"Norris has a firm contract until the end of 2025," said the Austrian.

"After that, he will be very interesting for many teams."

With Verstappen closing in on his third consecutive F1 world title, Perez will be laser-focused on one of his favourite circuits on the calendar to make Helmut Marko eat his words.