Marko suspicious of Piquet scandal timing: 'That was no coincidence'

The GP weekend at Silverstone was overshadowed by the Piquet scandal. Three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet senior had used the N-word in an interview. Red Bull Racing team advisor Dr Helmut Marko still finds the timing of the scandal remarkable.

Piquet would have used the N-word during a TV broadcast after the crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone in 2021. The fragment resurfaced during the 2022 British GP and cost the Brazilian dearly. Hamilton strongly condemned the statements and Piquet apologised and tried to defend himself. Meanwhile, Red Bull advisor Marko still seems uneasy about it.

Marko does not trust the timing

In an interview with the Austrian OE24.at the team boss talks about the scandal: "I will not defend Piquet, but if you translate the Portuguese correctly, what he said is not as boorish as people think. But we know Piquet; even when he was still active in the sport he made unwise comments." Marko continued his story, sounding full of suspicion towards the British press and Hamilton fans: "The only strange thing is that this interview surfaced a few days before the British GP. Apparently they wanted to make sure that last year's crash would not be brought up. This timing is not a coincidence."

Who he blames for this 'remarkable timing' is not clear from the interview. What is clear is that Marko is still reeling from the crash Hamilton caused in 2021. The bill has apparently not been settled yet.