"Gone are the days when we need people like Helmut Marko to be in F1" - F1 influencer lashes out at Red Bull man for his remarks about Isack Hadjar

F1 influencer Matt Gallagher has called out Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko for his comments on Isack Hadjar's crash in Australia. Matt said that F1 no longer needs people like Marko to be harsh and ruthless on their own drivers.

Isack Hadjar, the promising rookie and 2024 F2 championship runner-up, had a nightmarish start to his F1 career. On his first race in Australia, held on March 16, 2025, Hadjar crashed on the formation lap of the race.

With an unfortunate end to his debut race, Hadjar got emotional and reportedly broke down in tears following the race.

However, Helmut Marko, Red Bull's senior advisor, didn't appreciate Hadjar's tearful show. He called the moment embarrassing and received widespread backlash from the fans on social media.

F1 influencer Matt Gallagher also lashed out at Marko by calling out his insensitive statement. In his Instagram video, Matt said:

"Gone are the days that we need people like that [Marko] to be in Formula 1. This is now 20 years ago where this was kind of seen as the norm. Formula 1 is the pinnacle. You need to deliver, but you also don't need to be a d**k."

He added:

"Isack Hadjar is a young prospective talent. He was graded an A-tier driver by the same man and then said it was embarrassing. Just have a bit of empathy. He knows how badly he screwed up. So why did you have to add fuel to the fire and say stuff like this which is only going to mount more pressure on him."

Matt also added that Lewis Hamilton's dad, Anthony Hamilton, won hearts with his heartwarming gesture when he went up to Hadjar to console and comfort him. Lastly, Gallagher opined that while the Red Bull environment is cutthroat, Marko's comments on Hadjar were unacceptable.

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner supports Isack Hadjar

Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar - Source: Getty

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shared a contradictory perspective, compared to Marko, on Isack Hadjar's crash at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. While Helmut Marko called Hadjar's emotional show 'embarrassing,' Horner reminded everyone that at the end of the day, these rookies are just kids and backed Hadjar.

Talking to Racingnews365, Horner said:

"It was quite heart-wrenching to see him so gutted. You forget that these guys are just kids, really. Obviously a lot of emotion for him today, but I think when he strips it back, there's an awful lot of positives he can take out of the weekend."

Isack Hadjar, meanwhile, was also disappointed with his formation lap crash in Albert Park and how his debut race in F1 ended. He explained that he lost traction in the car while trying to heat up the tires, and everything happened so fast that he had no time to react and save himself from hitting the wall and losing his rear wing.

Moreover, Isack also apologized to the team and vowed to bounce back stronger at the upcoming 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, which is scheduled for later in the week on March 23.

With zero points earned at the Australian Grand Prix, the Racing Bulls are seated in the ninth position on the Constructors' championship standings.