Axed Red Bull F1 star calls for Helmut Marko FIA punishment after 'offensive' comments

Helmut Marko

Axed Red Bull star calls for Marko FIA punishment after 'offensive' comments

Helmut Marko's comments have recently been criticised

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 30 March 2025 08:56 Updated: 11:22

Former Red Bull and Formula 1 driver Jaime Alguersuari has suggested that Helmut Marko and other figures in the sport should be penalised by the FIA if they deliver ‘offensive’ comments.

The Spaniard started 46 races with Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) from 2009 until 2011, before he was axed from the team in favour of then-emerging talent Daniel Ricciardo.

During his time within the Red Bull family, Alguersuari worked closely with team chief Helmut Marko who has overseen the careers of multiple young drivers, including the team's most recent driver pairing of Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda.

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In an interview with talkSPORT, the former Red Bull star revealed the pressure Marko put him under during his junior career, claiming prior to the 2008 Formula 3 championship finale he was told by the chief: "If you don't win the championship, you're out of the program."

Alguersuari did not condemn the pressure however, as he went on to win the championship and claimed that Marko helped him become a stronger driver.

Should the FIA intervene with comments from F1 figures?

Marko’s sharp tongue made headlines once again in 2025 after he called junior driver Isack Hadjar’s tearful reaction to his formation lap crash at the Australian Grand Prix ‘embarrassing’, comments which led to widespread criticism.

The Red Bull chief also caused controversy in 2023 when he delivered comments to ServusTV about Sergio Perez, saying: "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]."

Whilst Marko apologised for these comments, F1 legend Lewis Hamilton labelled them as ‘unacceptable’ and stated that 'more needed to be done' to create a more 'inclusive environment'.

In the same interview with talkSPORT, Alguersuari touched on Marko’s controversies and suggested that ‘offensive’ comments should be penalised by F1 and the FIA.

"I have to say, Helmut Marko at the moment maybe could kind of learn some things that he could avoid," Alguersuari said.

"I actually think Formula 1 and the FIA should penalise some of the comments because you can be tough and you can be very disciplined or whatever, but you can't be offensive to cultures, to religions and to whole countries.

"It's penalised in football, it's penalised in many sports and it should be penalised in Formula 1 for the sake, for the good, and for the image of F1.

"This has to be a transparent sport and we all develop as human beings and sports and athletes and teams. So this has to be clean and fair. So there's this balance.

"As I said, I do defend Helmut Marko in a way, but in another way, I would criticise some of the comments and aspects of him."

Despite criticising Marko, Alguersuari stated there was little chance Marko would censor his comments, saying: "I don’t think Helmut has changed at all and I don’t think he ever will."

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