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Marko has to laugh at the photo that has turned up: 'That's detective work'

31 December 2020 at 07:00
Last update 31 December 2020 at 10:51
  • GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing presented Sergio Perez as a new driver on a Friday and announced that everything had only been officially announced on that day. Faced with photographs from Abu Dhabi, Helmut Marko must be laughing a little.

The Red Bull Racing deal

In the last weeks of the Formula 1 season it was already clear to everyone that it would be either Sergio Perez or Alexander Albon, but who it would be was still difficult to say. After his victory in Sakhir, Perez seemed to be the obvious favourite for the seat, but only on the Friday after Abu Dhabi would Perez have been sure.

Pictures of the announcement, however, showed something else. The photo taken by Perez was in the same clothing as the trio (Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Sergio Perez) was seen in Abu Dhabi. Clients of hotels in Abu Dhabi were also familiar with the curtains and the surroundings.

Perez already on the photo

''That's some detective work that was done there, but a photo has nothing to do with a contract. We were just having fun together. At that moment there was nothing 100% round and we took that picture in case it came round. I'm also wearing a thick sweater, so it could have been somewhere in the north," says Marko laughing to Motorsport-total.com.

If the reporter says he doesn't believe him, something more comes out. ''Perez was wearing the same shirt when he changed helmet with Vettel, which betrayed us more than the curtains. To be honest, I don't remember when the picture was taken, it was a turbulent weekend. The possibilities were there, because we were not allowed to leave the hotel'', Marko concludes.