Helmut Marko has swiftly responded to Ralf Schumacher’s recent allegations, wherein the German driver suggested that Red Bull’s esteemed F1 senior advisor harbored some reservations regarding the illustrious ‘Schumacher name’. In an assertive retort, Marko firmly rebuts such insinuations.
According to Schumacher, Marko’s preference leaned towards Nyck de Vries instead of his own nephew, Mick Schumacher for “personal reasons”.
“It seems that Helmut Marko has a problem with the Schumacher name,” he said.
“Even though I have a good exchange with him personally, it seems he has some problem with Mick because otherwise, it’s not understandable to me why it didn’t work out from the beginning.
“To be honest, I don’t see anyone else in the squad who would fit in there at the moment. “That’s why I’m surprised by what Dr. Helmut Marko is doing.”
Following Mick’s departure from Haas at the conclusion of 2022, he found himself without a racing seat.
While AlphaTauri seemed like a viable prospect, de Vries captured attention with an impressive performance during his brief appearance for Williams at Monza, ultimately securing the coveted opportunity.
Consequently, Mick became a part of Mercedes, assuming the role of their third driver for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
“I have no problem with the name Schumacher,” Marko told oe24. “For me, Michael Schumacher is the greatest.
“I talk to Ralf regularly. But he is confusing one thing: our F1 program is based on performance, not on marketing.”
The prospect of Mick returning to the Formula 1 grid in 2024 remains uncertain, as it appears that Williams is currently his sole potential choice for the upcoming season.
