Helmut Marko made several remarks that have drawn scrutiny:

• Sergio Perez Comments Marko apologized for suggesting that Sergio Perez's fluctuating performance was due to his ethnicity, stating that it was wrong to attribute this to his cultural heritage

. He initially said Perez was South American and "not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] or as Sebastian [Vettel]"

. Marko later clarified that he meant Mexicans have a different mentality than Germans or Dutch, but critics still called his comments discriminatory

. The FIA issued Marko a written warning and reminded him of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport

• Gabriel Bortoleto Comments Marko placed Gabriel Bortoleto in a 'B' category of drivers, despite Bortoleto's successful performance in Formula 3 and Formula 2

. Bortoleto responded that he would prove Marko wrong with time and that Marko would "regret what he said"

• Isack Hadjar Comments Marko said Isack Hadjar crying after crashing was "a bit embarrassing"

. Critics condemned Marko's comments, asserting that Hadjar's emotional response was normal given the high stakes and pressure