"We move on”: Sergio Perez claims Helmut Marko apologised for his comments personally ahead of F1 Singapore GP

Sergio Perez accepted Helmut Marko's apology for the earlier comments the latter made on Checo's ethnicity, his current form, and race pace.

Some consider Helmut Marko, Red Bull's advisor, a 'PR disaster' because of his comments on drivers without any filter. He recently mentioned on ServusTV that Sergio Perez, being a South American, has a fluctuating form in Formula 1 and is not as focused as other drivers.

"Let’s remember that he is South American, and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was."

He had also mentioned Sergio Perez's overtakes, saying:

"But racing is his forte, and he had a very good race. Overtaking three drivers, in George Russell and the Ferraris, was not easy."

When this was circulated in the media, Marko was criticized for commenting on one's ethnicity, and he later apologized.

Now, as F1 heads into the Singapore Grand Prix, Perez revealed to the media that Marko's apology to him meant to him the most. He added that he is aware of how the Red Bull advisor speaks sometimes, so he 'moves on,' with their good relationship.

"I had a one-on-one conversation with him. He apologised. That was the most important thing for me. Now let's put that behind us," Perez said.

"Knowing Helmut like I say, I have a personal relationship with him. I know he doesn't mean it that way. And I personally didn't get offended at all. Whatever he or I say in the media is different than what we discuss in person. We have a good relationship," he added.

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Helmut Marko's public apology to Sergio Perez

As mentioned, Red Bull's advisor was publically criticized for his comments about Checo's ethnicity. It was apparent that an apology from his side was to come soon.

Marko said that his comments about the Mexican driver were based on his inconsistent performance this season. He admitted that it was wrong for him to generalize an entire ethnicity for the same, saying:

"Concerning my remark about Sergio Perez, ServusTV Sport and Talk, Monday September 4: I would like to apologise for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity."

"I was trying to make a point that Checo has fluctuated in his performance this year, but it was wrong to attribute this to his cultural heritage."

Sergio Perez had a great start to the season as he maintained his pace with teammate Max Verstappen. However, after a couple of races, it seemed as if his pace had started to go down.

He lost out in a lot of races, but he is getting back in the top-two spot again in the last few races.