Red Bull Racing F1 consultant Dr. Helmut Marko clarified that his idea was not deliberate COVID-19 infection to its main drivers and juniors in a camp.
Marko made quite the headlines after his interview to ORF, where it was implied that the Austrian wished to create a corona camp where he would deliberately push its main drivers and juniors to get the COVID-19 to make them immune to the virus.
The Austrian was blasted on social media but Marko clarified in another interview to Auto Bild, where he states that his idea was to organize a camp for fitness – whether physical or mental. He adds that the idea was never a deliberate infection to its drivers.
“Of course that’s not true,” said Marko. “It wasn’t about deliberately infecting someone. That came across wrong in the interview because it was also cut together. In Austria you are being overwhelmed by Corona media.
“Regardless of whether it’s television, radio or newspapers: it’s all about the virus. Even the very own disgrace, for which Austria is generally valued beyond the borders, is nipped in the bud in times like these. In any case, one thing is certain: I don’t send my children to war voluntarily.
“You have to be careful and try to get the pandemic under control as quickly as possible. But please with a sense of proportion. I’m [pretty] sure the virus caught me in February. I had a ten-day cold with all the symptoms associated with the virus.
“When I flew to Melbourne for the planned Grand Prix, I felt better. On the return flight I had to stop in Dubai. Conditions prevailed there, which you cannot imagine. Tens of thousands of people from different nations scurried around in a confined space .
“But I was not infected against any logic. Probably because I was already resistant. If people my age, the highest risk group at all, can survive the disease, you can certainly say that young, well-trained athletes like our racing drivers should at least be less afraid of the consequences.
“That was the only reason why we considered organizing the training camp despite the danger from Corona. Above all, it should distract the boys and keep them fit. But there was never any talk of deliberate infection,” summed up Marko.
The good news was that no one within Red Bull supported the idea of a camp and it was dropped all-together but the assessment of Marko of that he was immune and a larger group of youngster are as well, does not mean that they cannot catch them.
Here’s what Helmut Marko stated in the ORF interview
Here’s details of this weekend’s Virtual GP
