"I realize that my comments were ignorant, misguided, and inappropriate..."

SINGAPORE—On the heels of Verstappen's fifth place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix, Helmut Marko found himself in a tight spot due to his controversial comments about South American drivers. These comments and fifth place finish ultimately led to a decision that no one could have anticipated – Marko must "nationalize" himself as a Brazilian.

Marko's earlier remarks had ignited a firestorm of criticism in the Formula 1 community when he suggested that South American drivers lacked consistency. Facing backlash for his comments, Red Bull took an unprecedented step by forcing Marko to declare himself a Brazilian citizen. Marko explained, "I realize that my comments were ignorant, misguided, and inappropriate so becoming South American due to Red Bull's inconsistency at the Singapore Grand Prix makes sense."

This unexpected move raised questions about Marko's future role in Red Bull Racing. Only time will tell whether this extraordinary act of nationalization will bring about a positive change in the team's dynamics and put an end to the controversy sparked by Marko's comments.