F1 News: Helmut Marko Demands Change - "Should Always Be Checked"

Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing’s senior advisor, calls for more thorough and regular car inspections in Formula One.

In a recent statement, Helmut Marko, the senior advisor for Red Bull Racing, voiced his concerns about the current car inspection processes in Formula One, specifically calling for a more comprehensive and regular checking of cars that earn points in a Grand Prix. 

This comes in the wake of the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the US Grand Prix, due to non-compliance with regulations, sparking a larger debate about the fairness and consistency of car checks post-race.

Key Takeaways:

• Need for More Checks: Marko advocates for thorough and regular inspections of all cars scoring points, despite the time-consuming nature of these checks, to maintain the sport’s integrity.
• Disqualifications at US Grand Prix: Hamilton and Leclerc's disqualifications highlighted inconsistencies in the FIA’s inspection processes, raising concerns since their teammates' cars were not checked.
• Racing Community’s Support: Max Verstappen and Guenther Steiner echoed Marko's sentiments, stressing the need for consistent checks, while Marko calls for inspecting at least the top ten finishers.

Marko expressed his satisfaction that Max Verstappen’s car was checked after the race in America, eliminating any potential doubts about its compliance. He conveyed the complexity of car inspections to Motorsport.com, highlighting how each car is slightly different, making the checking process time-consuming. 

Despite these challenges, Marko believes that for the future of the sport, changes need to be made to expedite the inspection process. He insists that at a minimum, the cars finishing in the top ten should always undergo post-race checks to ensure fairness and compliance with regulations.

"First of all, I am very happy that Max's car was also checked after the race in America. Then at least there can be no ambiguity about that. But if you talk to people from the FIA, the whole problem is that these things are so complex," he admitted. "Every car has to go up and is slightly different, so it's not like you just quickly go there and measure things. It takes time.

"But for the future, I do think something has to change to make sure the process can be faster.

"Then maybe we will be able to check all the cars. In any case, I believe that the first ten after a race should always be checked."