Marko finds McLaren's reaction unfair: 'That wasn't the point at all'
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Statements by Helmut Marko have caused angry reactions at McLaren. The Austrian told Motorsport Magazin that he does not yet think Lando Norris is mentally strong enough to beat Max Verstappen. McLaren team boss Zak Brown therefore found Marko's statements inappropriate. Speaking to The Telegraph, Marko then retorted that Brown's reaction was unfair.
Helmut Marko's statement about Lando Norris has caused some disappointed reactions by McLaren. The Austrian told Motorsport Magazine previously that Lando Norris is not mentally strong enough to defeat Max Verstappen in the duo's battle for the 2024 titles. McLaren CEO Zak Brown found Marko's statements inappropriate. Speaking to De Telegraph, Marko explained while the CEO's reaction was unfair.
Zak Brown has said Norris has been an ambassador for mental health, and it is important to talk about such issues. Team principal Andrea Stella could only agree, saying that advisor's comment was worse than Max Verstappen swearing in Singapore.
Marko says Brown's reaction is unfair
Marko therefore underlined that his comments had nothing to do with mental health. "That was not the issue at all. I didn't think what Zak made of it was entirely fair. I do regret that because I have always had a good relationship with Lando. This was purely a statement, referring to his experience and maturity."
He continued with saying Norris does have a promising future in the competition. "In two years' time he [Norris] will be a lot stronger mentally. We all know that Max also made mistakes in his first years in Formula 1. Lando is a fantastic driver, but the pressure also plays a role. And with more routine and success you naturally start to deal with that better," the Austrian concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut
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