Schumacher sympathises with Marko: 'You can forgive too'

The former Formula 1 driver watched with amazement as Marko was publicly pilloried. Speaking to Formel1.de , Schumacher explained that he indeed thought the statements went too far, but that the 80-year-old Austrian's apology should have been enough. According to him, things were blown out of proportion.

Indeed, after Marko's apology, it was not yet finished, as the entire F1 paddock also thought something of it upon arrival in Singapore.Lewis Hamilton, for instance, lashed out firmly at the Red Bull chief. So did Toto Wolff. Schumacher did not think all that necessary, especially as Perez had already put the incident long and wide behind him.

Marko gets the brunt

In Singapore, Marko therefore did not appear in the media. "It doesn't sit well with him that people [can] think about him that way at all," said Schumacher, who thus thinks Marko certainly did get a crunch from all the fuss. "Helmut is someone who doesn't want to hurt anyone. He just throws out a nonchalant, thoughtless comment now and then, and in sporting assessment that is not always easy for his drivers."

Schumacher saw Marko "being put through the mud time and again". "You can forgive too. For me, this apology was absolutely credible. Especially because I know Helmut. We hardly exchanged a word in the past. But I have known him since I was 16 or 17. And I have to say, one thing is for sure, he's not right-wing or anything, he's just a person with a definite edge."