Marko taunts McLaren team boss
Credit: PlanetF1.com (http://www.planetf1.com)
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has taunted McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh by telling him to resolve his own team's problems before commenting on those of others.
Marko, right-hand man to owner Dietrich Mateschitz, was naturally in an ebullient mood after witnessing Sebastian Vettel become the youngest World Champion in Formula One history on Sunday.
Marko has made no secret of his favouritism towards Vettel over the course of the season, notably siding with the 23-year-old following his collision with team-mate Mark Webber in Turkey.
So after Vettel's moment of glory in Abu Dhabi, Marko was able to gloat, in particular when asked about Whitmarsh's comments after the Belgian Grand Prix in August when Vettel crashed into Jenson Button.
Whitmarsh remarked that Vettel's driving was more reminiscent of junior formulae than Formula One.
Standing on firm ground on which to strike back, especially given Lewis Hamilton's accidents that followed in Italy and Singapore, Marko said: "Whitmarsh was trying to put a lot of pressure on us.
"But he should look to try and keep Hamilton on the road instead.
"I think it would have been better for his team instead of looking at others and making comments which were not justified."
Marko did not stop at Whitmarsh with his comments as he also claimed Fernando Alonso was fortunate to still be in the hunt for the title come the last race.
The Austrian was referring to the fact Alonso inherited two of his five wins from Vettel, initially in Bahrain when a spark plug issue dropped the young German from first to fourth.
Most significantly there was Korea when Vettel's engine blew nine laps from home, and not forgetting in Germany where Felipe Massa pulled over to allow by Ferrari team-mate Alonso.
"The way we have gone with Red Bull is straightforward," added Marko.
"We won won in a very sporting way, never with any tactics. Both drivers had the same chances.
"Of course, this was a risky strategy because we could have lost the title to Alonso, who was always lucky.
"Whenever we had problems he was the one benefiting, so now we are very happy. These two titles (Red Bull also winning the Constructors') are more than I could have hoped for."
Marko is convinced the team and Vettel will now go from strength to strength, with the aim to repeat the feat next year and further put the noses out of joint of established marques McLaren and Ferrari.
"Sebastian will become more mature, more relaxed, and as for the team, everyone is so committed," said Marko.
"When the boss (Mateschitz) said in 2004 he was going to buy an F1 team, but that we had to win, I knew it would be difficult but possible.
"But to win both Championships in a relatively short period of time means the whole team, the whole approach of everyone was right, and there is a lot of satisfaction.
"Everyone is now focused on repeating this next year, that is what we are going for - but hopefully not in the last race!"
Credit: PlanetF1.com (http://www.planetf1.com)
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