F1 Roundup: Perez accepts Marko apology, Verstappen Hits back at Wolff, Hamilton slams Marko's comments

Perez accepts Marko's apology

Helmut Marko, advisor for Red Bull, sparked intense controversy with his offensive remarks regarding Sergio Perez's heritage.

Marko stated that Perez's occasional lack of focus could be attributed to his "South American" roots, despite Perez hailing from Mexico in North America.

Marko's words, spoken on Red Bull's ServusTV channel after the Italian Grand Prix, were:

"He is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max is or as Sebastian [Vettel]."

The comments caused an uproar on social media, especially in Perez's home country of Mexico.

Marko issued a public apology and, according to Perez, privately apologized as well. Perez said:

"I had a private conversation with him. He did apologise. And that to me was the main thing."

Perez added that he accepted Marko's apology and has moved on, stating:

"Knowing the person helps a lot, because I know he doesn't mean it that way."

Perez insisted he wasn't personally offended, suggesting Marko's words were misinterpreted.

Still, the remarks drew widespread criticism across Formula 1.

Verstappen fires back at Wolff over wikipedia comment

Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen broke the record for most consecutive Formula 1 wins by claiming his 10th straight victory at Monza.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff dismissed the achievement, stating it was only good for "Wikipedia" and that "nobody reads that anyway."

Verstappen fired back at Wolff's dig, saying: “I’m not disappointed in that, but they had a pretty sh*t race, so he probably was still pissed off with their performance.

I think it’s just important that you focus on your own team. That’s what we do as well."

Verstappen added that Wolff should appreciate greatness, considering Mercedes' previous dominance, stating:

"I think you should be able to appreciate when a team is doing really well, which I think we’ve done in the past, because it worked also as a kind of inspiration."

Verstappen said he doesn't feel extra pressure while chasing records, only wanting the best result each race weekend.

He'll look to extend his streak to 11 wins at the Singapore Grand Prix, a venue where he has never won before.

Hamilton condemns Marko's "unacceptable" remarks

Lewis Hamilton fiercely criticized Marko's controversial remarks about Perez, calling them "totally unacceptable" and saying Formula 1 still has much work to do on inclusion and diversity.

Hamilton said: "I mean, it’s totally unacceptable what he said. Whilst we say there’s no room for any type of discrimination within this sport, which there should be no room for, to have leaders, people in his position, making comments like this, is not good for us moving forward."

Hamilton noted the silence from Red Bull as a team, stating: "It is interesting that they haven’t done so for this one. It’s not my team, and it’s not how we move as a team."

Hamilton added that teams often condemn such incidents with official statements and remove or rebuke individuals who make discriminatory comments.

While Marko apologized, Hamilton said: "I think it’s not just something that you apologise for and it’s all okay, I think there needs to be more done."

Hamilton reiterated his commitment to making Formula 1 more inclusive, stating:

"It just shows how important it is that we continue to do the work that I’m trying to do with my team and with the sport."

"We still have a lot of work to do moving forward to make sure that this is a more inclusive environment."