Marko apologises for Verstappen-Hamilton clash comment

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says he was wrong to claim that Max Verstappen had not braked excessively and caused Lewis Hamilton to run into the back of the Dutchman's car in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The lap 37 contact on the back straight between F1's dueling duo was a major talking point after the eventful race in Jeddah.

Ahead of the stewards' decision to hand a 10-second penalty to Verstappen for "erratic" driving and causing the incident, a furious Marko claimed that Red Bull's data would prove that Verstappen had not brake-tested his rival as Hamilton had alleged in the heat of the moment.

©RedBull

However, the stewards' investigation revealed that the Red Bull driver had indeed braked heavily in his attempt to hand back the leading position to Hamilton.

And Marko owned up to his erroneous comment.

"At the time of the television interviews, I passed on exactly the information that I had received from the engineers beforehand," Marko told F1 Insider.

"They were obviously not correct, so I'm sorry for that."

Read also: Brawn warns F1 arch-rivals: 'Don't step over the line!'

With last weekend's chaotic affair and controversies now in the rear-view mirror, Marko is focused on Red Bull and Verstappen's job at hand in Abu Dhabi: winning the world title.

"Hopefully, the unfortunate chapter of Saudi Arabia is now closed," said the Austrian. "In any case, we are only looking ahead.

"We want to win in Abu Dhabi and thus win the title. We will do everything for that, but we will not start any unfair actions."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.