Helmut Marko slams F1 for ‘double standards’ over what’s just happened to Max Verstappen

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Helmut Marko has now hit out at Formula 1 over what the Red Bull motorsport advisor considers ‘double standards’ after what has just happened to driver, Max Verstappen.

The 26-year-old finds himself in a real fight to defend the drivers’ championship this year as Verstappen looks to become a four-time consecutive champion. With six rounds of the term to go, the Dutchman tops the standings with 331 points to Lando Norris of McLaren on 279.

But as well as focusing on defending a lead, Verstappen is also fighting matters off the track. It further comes amid his worst run of results since 2019, with the Red Bull driver without a win in eight Grand Prix – yielding only three podiums – since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

Helmut Marko slams F1 for ‘double standards’ amid Max Verstappen swearing row

The 2024 Formula 1 drivers’ championship title fight is now also being played out against an avoidable backdrop of Verstappen and the FIA arguing regarding swearing. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, is determined to get F1 drivers to curtail their swearing at races.

Ben Sulayem made his case for the matter ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix but it drew an aggressive reaction from Verstappen. The Red Bull driver intentionally swore during the pre-event press conference, sparking the FIA to order Verstappen to do ‘work of public interest’.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

F1’s drivers have largely backed the Dutchman, with Lewis Hamilton even telling Verstappen to not serve his penalty for swearing. Now, Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko has hit out at F1 for letting the FIA punish Verstappen given how it has made Guenther Steiner a cult hero.

Marko finds it ‘incomprehensible’ that Formula 1 played into Steiner repeatedly swearing on Netflix’s Drive to Survive to grow F1’s fanbase. But when Verstappen swore during the press conference, F1 – which also adores angry radio messages – let the FIA punish the Dutchman.

“There are double standards,” Marko has told Formel1.de. “What’s more, he didn’t mean a person, he meant the car, an object, and he said it in a flippant way.

“OK, maybe in an afternoon press conference. If everything is handled so strictly, people will take it differently in the future. But it is clearly over the top.”

Guenther Steiner feels the FIA got it wrong punishing Max Verstappen for swearing

Verstappen has support from other F1 drivers for his swearing row with the FIA, with GPDA chairman Alex Wurz admitting they are ‘upset’ by his penalty. But their argument is unlikely to dissolve soon as the FIA will escalate the matter if Verstappen does not serve his penalty.

Yet Verstappen’s penalty is even one that Steiner believes the FIA got wrong as it should not try to silence the Dutchman. The ex-Haas team principal is also adamant that the governing body needed to take into account that Verstappen was describing his car and not a steward.