Ralf Schumacher has come to the defense of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar after the young driver was caught on camera wiping away tears following his crash on the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix.
The mishap left Hadjar out of his first-ever Formula 1 race before it had even begun — a moment that Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko unceremoniously labeled as "a bit embarrassing."
Schumacher, a former F1 driver and now a Sky Sports Germany pundit, argued that the intense pressure rookies face — especially under Marko’s unforgiving eye — could have contributed to Hadjar’s emotional reaction.
“I wouldn’t necessarily have cried now, but of course it touches a young man,” Schumacher told Formel.de in a video posted on YouTube.
“The first race, a terrific performance up to that point, and then to let the team down like that is of course sad. And then you also get a bit scared, I think especially at Red Bull with the harshness of Dr. Marko.
Schumacher was quick to question Marko’s apparent lack of empathy.
"I don't know what's embarrassing about tears, but well, we know Helmut, and he certainly doesn’t mean it that way.”
For the former Williams and Toyota driver, Marko’s biting remark reflected less on Hadjar’s character and more on the unforgiving culture Marko fosters – a culture that might have pushed the rookie to his breaking point.
Brundle Calls Out Marko’s Rookie Rankings
The controversy surrounding Marko’s treatment of rookies didn’t stop with Hadjar. Martin Brundle, ex-F1 driver turned pundit, has also taken issue with the Red Bull advisor’s harsh critique of the current rookie crop.
During an appearance on Red Bull’s own station, Servus TV, Marko publicly rated some of the newcomers, notably giving Alpine’s Jack Doohan a harsh ‘C’ grade while predicting that he “won’t complete the season.”
The Austrian F1 veteran also downplayed the potential of Sauber’s highly-rated Gabriel Bortoleto, awarding him a ‘B’ and suggesting that despite his back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles, the Brazilian lacks “pure speed.”
Brundle was unimpressed by Marko’s blunt assessments.
“He seems very mature, and he’s coming off the back of winning F3 and F2,” Brundle said of Bortoleto on Sky F1.
“We know there’s a lot of great drivers that have done that, like Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, for example. I think he’s going to be quite a star of the future, this young Brazilian, and he’s shown well straight away.”
When it was pointed out to Brundle that Bortoleto’s strong debut performance was “not bad for a B-class driver, as Dr. Helmut Marko was saying,” he responded pointedly: “Yeah, exactly.”
“I think that Helmut Marko needs to worry more about commenting on his own drivers than other people’s,” added Brundle.
Time for a Reality Check?
Marko’s harsh words for the rookies reflect a pattern of tough love that has become synonymous with his reputation.
Yet, both Schumacher and Brundle seem to agree that, rather than demotivating young talent, it might be time for Red Bull’s senior advisor to take a step back and allow rookies the chance to prove themselves without the fear of public judgment.
As the 2025 season progresses, it remains to be seen whether Hadjar, Doohan, or Bortoleto will rise above the criticism and make their mark — or whether Marko’s ruthless standards will continue to be the primary narrative surrounding their rookie campaigns.
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