“Kyle Larson and Noah Gragson, they were penalised”: Danica Patrick calls for NASCAR-like punishment in F1 after Helmut Marko’s comments

Following Helmut Marko's xenophobic comments on Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, Danica Patrick wants F1 to take quick action, as NASCAR did with Kyle Larson in 2020 and most recently against Noah Gragson.

After the Italian GP, the top boss at Red Bull remarked on Perez's nationality. He later apologized for his comments to the Mexican driver, who courteously accepted the apology. However, as of now, neither Red Bull nor F1 have issued a public statement on the events that transpired over the last few weeks.

Sky Sports F1 pundit Danica Patrick wants F1 to take swift action like NASCAR did when it suspended Kyle Larson for using a racial slur and Noah Gragson for liking an offensive meme. She wants the organizers to draw a ''line in the sand" like the American stock car racing series has done.

She told Sky F1:

“Obviously, this happened over a week ago, but it’s taken a long time to get any kind of answers and a statement. I think, number one in the media, you’ve got to really stay ahead of things as much as you can, and I don’t think that’s really been the case.

She added:

“But there are consequences and obviously, you know, in my friend Kyle Larson’s situation or Noah Gragson – they were penalised. They were suspended and Kyle lost his ride. He lost his sponsor, lost his ride. So there are penalties and they’ve obviously laid the line in the sand exactly where that’s at in the series. I think that there’s just yet to be the desire from F1 to put that line in the sand where that’s at.”

Back in 2020, Larson was suspended by his team, Chip Ganassi Racing, and NASCAR immediately after his comments on a live stream.

He also lost all of his major sponsors. Gragson was suspended by Legacy Motor Club and NASCAR for liking an offensive meme earlier in August this year relating to the murder of George Floyd.

Both drivers had issued apologies and were only reinstated by the sanctioning body after completing sensitivity training. As of now, F1 has not taken a stance on the comments made by Red Bull's top boss, Helmut Marko.

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Kyle Larson wishes to be a "school bus driver" post-retirement

Kyle Larson and his son at Kansas

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion recently revealed his post-retirement plans, saying he wishes to take up the job of a school bus driver.

Kyle Larson's plans might come as a surprise to many, but the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver is also into driving buses.

He said:

"I like driving my bus. So maybe I could be a school bus driver someday — retire, move to Florida, or something. That’s what (former motorcycle racing champion) Randy Goss did, so maybe that would work out for me."

Kyle Larson expressed his plans in a recent interview with the Athletic, where he wishes to emulate two-time AMA Grand National Champion Randy Goss, who went on to become a school bus driver.