FIA issues warning to Marko following Perez remark

The FIA has issued a written warning to Dr Helmut Marko following his comment regarding Sergio Perez’s ethnicity.

Marko has come under fire for a comment he made to Austrian network ServusTV, suggesting his background has played a part in his fluctuating form this year.

Incorrectly labelling Mexican Perez as 'South American', Marko claimed that his up and down form was due to his heritage, problems that Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, who are German and Dutch, did not have.

Perez insisted that he was "not offended" by Marko’s remark, after public and private apologies, outlining that the duo had a private conversation to resolve the matter.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner acknowledged that Marko’s comment was "not right" while other team bosses took aim at the Austrian for his words.

An FIA spokesperson confirmed to RacingNews365 the written warning for Marko, who has "been reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA Code of Ethics."