McLaren Managing Director Zak Brown has sharply criticized comments made by Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko about championship runner-up Lando Norris and his mental state.
20.10.2024, 05:00
20.10.2024, 10:53
SDA
"I think it's quite inappropriate to poke around in that and it sets us back ten or twenty years," Brown emphasized. Marko had suggested that McLaren driver Norris had "mental weaknesses" compared to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Brown therefore spoke of a "blow below the belt". However, Brown does not want to talk to Marko about the matter. "There's no point talking to him about it. It is not the first time he has made such comments and it will certainly not be the last," emphasized the McLaren managing director.
Marko talks about Norris' weaknesses
The 81-year-old Austrian had said in an interview with the Austrian online portal OE24 that Verstappen would win the World Championship again because the Dutchman was the best mentally and as a driver. Marko had added: "Norris has a starting weakness, plus he is not the strongest mentally. The pressure increases with every race, because in reality he has to win every time to catch up." Ahead of the final quarter of the Formula 1 season, Norris is the first pursuer of championship leader Verstappen.
He had read the comments, said Brown, "they are disappointing, but not surprising". Norris is something of an ambassador for mental health. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had also spoken about it. "I think it's a serious issue that we're trying to talk about and bring to the fore," explained the McLaren boss.
Norris' confident reaction
"I really don't mind people saying what they want to say about me, good or bad," Norris responded calmly to Marko's comments. "Everyone tries to play their part, whether it's team bosses, drivers or managers. Everyone tries to do the same and everyone tries to make their little jibes and comments."
Norris had recently spoken openly about the fact that he is still very nervous before races and qualifying sessions. On Sundays, for example, he can hardly eat or drink anything because of the nerves and the pressure.
Marko is known for his controversial comments. Last year, he had to apologize after making controversial comments about Mexican Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, after linking his faltering form to Perez's ethnic origin.
Height-adjustable Red Bull causes discussion
At a press conference on Friday, Brown also commented on the issue of the height-adjustable Red Bull car and warned of "massive consequences" if it turned out that the world champion team had breached Formula 1 rules. Red Bull had admitted the existence of such a device on the car, but also explained that it would no longer be accessible once the cars were fully assembled and ready for use.
Brown still has questions about this. "I think there needs to be a very thorough investigation. I'm not the only one who is concerned about what we've seen and heard," explained the McLaren managing director.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said he had noticed "paranoia" and added that his team was in full agreement with race stewards investigating the device. "It's on a list of open-source components, so it's been in the public domain for three years. The FIA is happy with that. I think it's just to satisfy some paranoia in the paddock," said Horner.
