Helmut Marko

[TheFamousEccles]

Alonso responds to Marko's jibes | News | Motorsport.com

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Is this real? Is this guy for real?

It's even reported on cra@h.net - which made me doubt it's worth immediately.

Anyway, he would be a great guy to have on your Team, if you were SV.

[rjbetty]

I so hope Sebby doesn't get his own way next year and someone, even Alonso, beats him to the title.

Oh if Webber could have won it, the look on Dr Marko's and Horner's faces would have been priceless.

[zako85]

Here is another of Helmut Marko's interviews from recent past:

Webber will retire in 2012: Marko | Fox Sports


Anyways.. I really like Mark Webber as a "number 2". He is one of the few number 2 drivers who publicly refused to acknowledge this status, often on the racetrack. He is too slow to make a real threat to Vettel, but sometimes it's amusing to see him refuse to yield to Vettel on the track when they do meet. I already forgot, but was it in Abu Dhabi or Brazil, where the team swiftly called him into pits to change tires as soon as Vettel caught up with him. This was too much of a coincidence IMO. Clearly, the race engineer was too nervous that Mark would not yield to Vettel easily. This adds a bit of color to team dynamics, as opposed to what you see at Ferrari.

[The Black Knight]

Alonso responds to Marko's jibes | News | Motorsport.com

Cookies must be enabled | Herald Sun

Is this real? Is this guy for real?

It's even reported on cra@h.net - which made me doubt it's worth immediately.

Anyway, he would be a great guy to have on your Team, if you were SV.

Mind games. He is trying to psychologically out maneuvre the opposition by making Vettel out to be a guy he is not. It has long been clear that Vettel is both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner's pet, especially since the Red Bull takes your wings incident of the British GP 2010. You can read the entire transcript of that interview here:

The Doctor is in session - Helmut Marko interview | Red Bull | F1 features | ESPN F1

The funniest comment for me was this:

That brings us back to his method of preparation, the way he shuts himself off from the rest of the world, so that he can still call on reserves that other drivers might not have: Fernando Alonso, for example, who is busy with politics and funny comments. Vettel ignores it all, he doesn't read the newspapers, or the internet. And that's the point, you see, we concentrate on our job: to make the fastest car and the best team possible. "

Did he see Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso after the US GP before they went onto the podium? Vettel had a jibe at Hamilton saying he was lucky with the back marker which allowed him to overtake, sort of as a retaliation to Hamilton's comments about Vettel's clearly lucky Abu Dhabi drive. Hamilton then responded "Not really, we all need some luck, you had yours last time out". Meanwhile, Alonso just sat back and let them at it. Funny comments eh? And don't get me started on Vettel's politics, he was well able to call certain drivers an idiot after Malaysia for something which was his own fault and he's well able to use Horner for his own cover. I have honestly found Alonso to be one of the least political drivers of the season and he stayed pretty much out of all mind games. Politics come part and parcel with being a Ferrari driver but I felt he conducted himself admirably this season. I couldn't say the same about Vettel.

Basically everything he said in that interview is bull****, perhaps apart from the part about Webber not being able to sustain a championship challenge once the heat is on. It does appear to be that way.

Anyway, I don't take much notice of what Helmut Marko says as he is one of the most clearly biased people on the gird. I'd even take what Christian Horner says more seriously than HM and that is saying something.

[Big Ben]

In conclusion you can be a doctor and a moron at the same time.

[BDunnell]

Basically everything he said in that interview is bull****, perhaps apart from the part about Webber not being able to sustain a championship challenge once the heat is on. It does appear to be that way.

Yes, sadly, there is probably much truth in that bit. Even then, is it something that should be said in public, even though a lot of people know it to be the case?

As you say, much of the rest of it does seem nonsensical. Vettel unpolitical? Is this why he goes on holidays with Ecclestone?

[wedge]

Confirmatiom that Markko does not and never has liked Webbo's individualism.

He should put up and shut up, take over from Horner or resign.

[wedge]

I have honestly found Alonso to be one of the least political drivers of the season and he stayed pretty much out of all mind games. Politics come part and parcel with being a Ferrari driver but I felt he conducted himself admirably this season. I couldn't say the same about Vettel.

If Alonso wasn't double WDC would he be an F1 driver by now let alone Ferrari?

[zako85]

If Alonso wasn't double WDC would he be an F1 driver by now let alone Ferrari?

This doesn't seem like an answerable question. It depends. One can be rated highly without having won a single title. Look at the former Ferrari drivers Alesi and Gilles Villeneuve, as well as Alonso. Alonso had exceptionally good seasons in 2007, 2010, and 2012, even though he did not win a title those years. Everyone observing closely those seasons knows he did pretty much everything that was required from him.

[driveace]

Dont underestimate Alonso,in my eyes he is one of the top 4 drivers out there.He dragged a under performing Ferrari to some good results this year,that at best was reliable.How many times has Red Bull been caught out with dodgy components on their car this last year ? Vettel has clearly had the best car and a reliable car too .Mc Laren probably had the fastest car,but a car where the pit crew was second rate,and reliability has been a large problem.Button in my eyes is fine if he is first out of the first corner,but in some races,he appears to sulk and go backwards!Hope that this year Kimi gets it together,as he gets his head down ,and gets on with it !