Marko coronavirus plan just ‘a throwaway comment’ – Horner

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says that Helmut Marko’s controversial idea of inoculating Red Bull’s drivers with COVID-19 to make them later immune was never tabled as a “serious suggestion”.

Marko raised a few eyebrows during an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF when he said that he had thought about setting up a “coronavirus camp” for Red Bull’s drivers where they would be deliberately infected with the virus in a bid to make them immune for when the season gets underway later this summer.

Speaking to BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson, Horner confirmed that the absurd idea had not been well received by Red Bull while also downplaying the seriousness of Marko’s comments.

Dr. Marko had wacky coronavirus plan to infect Red Bull drivers!

“As Helmut pointed out, when he raised it, it wasn’t received with support from within Red Bull,” said the Briton.

“It was in many ways a throwaway comment before understanding the seriousness of the pandemic.

“Red Bull, yes, they have many athletes but the focus regarding all the actions that are going on at the moment is that this can affect young people, old people, vulnerable people.

“It is not a limited sector this applies to. So things like the ventilator project we are working on demonstrate how seriously we are taking this and how much effort’s going behind it.

“Helmut’s comments were made before understanding the severity. It has never been discussed or tabled as a serious suggestion.”

On the subject of F1’s relief efforts regarding the shortfall of ventilators and breathing devices for COVID-19 patients in the UK, Horner says Red Bull is doing its part at Milton Keynes.

“People like Rob Marshall, our chief designer, he has done a couple of all-nighters on this coming up with engineering solutions to issues they’ve encountered,” Horner explained.

“F1’s ability to problem-solve is second to none and our ability to make rapid prototype parts is again second to none.

“So not just our team but all the teams have responded in a phenomenal way. I can only judge what’s going on in our our facility, and the efforts that the engineering team and R&D and manufacturing have put into this have been exemplary.”