This Formula 1 season has been Red Bull’s in all accounts. Be it the team’s success on track (primarily owing to Max Verstappen) or the controversies off it (courtesy of Sergio Perez), the Milton-Keynes squad has grabbed headlines left, right, and center. And now, the man responsible for creating all the controversy around Perez, the one who made a mockery of the Mexican’s honor, defended Verstappen’s honor after the US GP. How ironic is Helmut Marko?

Sergio Perez hasn’t had the smoothest of seasons. After starting out well, his form dropped, and he hasn’t recovered since. Comparing drivers to their teammates is natural. In fact, teammates are drivers’ primary rivals, so it makes sense that Marko would compare Perez to Verstappen. But the way he did it was unacceptable. Now, after offending Perez with his choice of words, the Red Bull advisor may have done it again with the Mexican’s fanbase.

For Helmut Marko, it’s Max Verstappen > Mexicans

For the unversed, Marko made xenophobic comments about Perez while discussing his disappointing form. He said, “We know that [Perez] has problems in qualifying and has fluctuations in form. He is South American, and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] or as Sebastian [Vettel].” That’s all it took for the F1 community to pile on Marko, calling him out for his offensive statement. Although the dust has (very slightly) settled on this, Marko hasn’t been let off the hook. Especially not my Mexican fans. Following the US GP, that seems increasingly unlikely.

The US GP in Texas—a state that borders Mexico—sees numerous Mexican fans come to support their hero, Perez. With the Mexican GP coming up next, these two races have a lot of support for Perez. Considering how well Verstappen is doing in comparison to the Mexican, Perez’s fans aren’t the biggest fans of Verstappen. So, when he got his 50th career win at COTA, many fans booed the Dutchman when he was on the podium. Helmut Marko believes he knows who’s responsible for disrespecting Verstappen.

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In an interview with Sky Germany, as quoted by GPFans, Marko said, “We are in contact with a lot of Mexicans. The majority are very friendly and fair, but there are always some enthusiastic people who don’t maintain the fair sporting standard. But we have no concerns and are happy to go to Mexico.” It’s ironic how Marko is the one talking about maintaining sporting standards after his comments about Perez. Following these accusations, it’s difficult to imagine Mexican fans forgiving him for his past crimes, no matter how much they’re urged to forgive the taskmaster.

Read More: “He’s Useless”: Voices Emerge for Helmut Marko’s Sacking Amid Max Verstappen’s Ego Tussle With Christian Horner

Mexicans must accept Marko’s comments “with a smile”

Red Bull and Helmut Marko have come to be known as an unforgiving duo. A driver makes a mistake or doesn’t live up to their expectations, and the next thing they know, they’re out of the team. The environment is absolutely ruthless. But when Marko knows a driver has the ability to perform but is just faltering (like is the case with Perez), he criticizes them to get them back on track. That’s his method. As it so happens, an Argentine journalist believes that’s precisely why Marko said what he said about Perez.

In an interview with the Mexican newspaper Esto, Fernando Tornello said, “Mexican fans must accept Marko’s words with a smile. We can’t get angry about everything he says. He is simply a provocateur and he is a tough man. He does it to tease and prod the drivers so that they get more out of the car and improve in terms of determination. I believe this is the reason why he made these comments about [Perez].” 

Watch This Story: Sergio Perez Caught in the Crossfire as Sebastian Vettel Dismisses All Attempts to Downplay Verstappen’s Dominance

Do you think there will ever come a time when Helmut Marko treats Sergio Perez the same way he does Max Verstappen?