Red Bull’s Helmut Marko accuses “fraud” Formula E of using diesel generators to charge the cars

Red Bull team advisor and talent scout Helmut Marko has accused Formula E of being a "fraud." The Austrian motorsport veteran claims the sport uses diesel generators to charge the batteries needed for their cars. His claim, however, has since been disproved, as the sport uses a mixture of a special blend of glycerin & sugar alcohol for its generators.

Red Bull has major sponsorship across several categories of motorsport, including DTM, MotoGP, WRC, and various other series. Despite rumors of the brand's interest in the highly-exciting sport, the energy drinks giant has yet to make its debut in Formula E.

Marko had gone to watch the Punda del Este E-Prix held in Uruguay and thought it was name fraud due to the generators they were using. He said about the sport:

“A lot of people tried to get us there, but visiting one race was enough for me. We told them very clearly ‘no, we’re not coming.’ I realized in Formula E that it was actually a name fraud. I watched the race in Uruguay and then I saw these huge diesel generators.”

Unknown to the Red Bull veteran, the sport uses a mixture of glycerin and sugar alcohol to power its generators. Glycerin is a carbon-neutral fuel — safe, odorless, non-toxic, water-soluble, and an abundant by-product of biodiesel production. Furthermore, all cars are charged using a single generator in around 50 minutes. Precise automation stops charging favoritism between cars, ensuring fair play between all participants.

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Helmut Marko claims Red Bull is doing all they can to defend Max Verstappen's title in 2022

The Austrian veteran claims the team is working "tirelessly" to ensure the new car is up to speed to ensure Max Verstappen successfully defends his title. With new regulatory changes being imposed in the upcoming season, however, it is still unclear which teams will rise to the top.

Speaking about the new season, Marko said:

“It works around the clock. The goal is the world title [again], but with such a big rule change, you can never be sure. Mercedes and we have the potential, the people, and the continuity. That speaks again for a duel at the highest level. Especially since there is no other driver [that can compete] with Hamilton and Verstappen.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shares a similar opinion to the Austrian, claiming it would be "foolish" to underestimate any team in 2022 given the upcoming regulatory changes. He said:

“It will be interesting to see what our competitors [do], but I think it’d be foolish to underestimate any of the teams with such a big regulation change.”

Max Verstappen and Red Bull will be hoping they get a sizeable jump on their opponents Mercedes and others in the upcoming season. Whether they will be able to make the most out of the radical new changes the sport is introducing, remains to be seen.