Helmut Marko on controversial COVID statement: 'I was dead serious'

Helmut Marko, advisor to Red Bull Racing, is known by many for his snarky methods and controversial statements. Of course, the extent to which a statement can be characterised as controversial can be debated, as everyone's opinion differs. But that the man has occasionally rocked the media is no secret.

In an interview with Road & Track the Austrian opens up, among other things, about his famous COVID-19 statement during the early days of the pandemic. He was keen to send drivers and teams to a camp where they would intentionally contract Covid and build up immunity to the virus. Since Covid is also known to be unexpectedly deadly to healthy people, this statement was not appreciated by all.

"[I] was serious. Doctors believed once you had it, it’s over. That you can get it a second and third time wasn’t known then. And we have young, strong people. It’s like a flu. Imagine if [Max] Verstappen would have got it last year at the wrong moment. The championship would’ve been gone if he had to miss one or two races," said the 79-year-old advisor. 

In the interview, Marko also has a word to say about Max. The Austrian has always been an advocate for the young Dutchman's success, and does not mince his words regarding this either. "To have Max as a teammate is not a nice part of your career. Max is so special. He was trained in a very tough way by his father, but very successfully. For example, when he was under 10 years old, they were in Italy, and as soon as it started raining, all the other drivers went to the cafeteria for a coffee or a cake. Max had to stay out, sometimes with frozen fingers. That’s why he’s so good in the rain. He can adapt immediately."

Asked if other teammates also recognise that Max is special, Marko replied that they do, and that they simply cannot beat him. "They are trying to change the setup on the car or adapt their driving style. Of course you can’t accept that you’re simply not as good as [Max]. At some stage, you have to recognize there is someone who is special and it’s just not possible to beat him. It’s my job to make them understand that. Is that cruel? I don’t think so."