The 81-year-old Red Bull supremo, known for his toughened approach, apparently didn't shield Wendlinger or his mum from his stern methods. Marko pushed Wendlinger, 55, hard both on and off the track before he got his chance in the big leagues. And Wendlinger recounted one particular incident where his attempt to dodge training left him with no doubt about whom he was dealing with. Mobile phones [didn't exist] at this time - it was a home phone - and Helmut was on the other end: 'Okay Karl, tomorrow 9 o'clock workshop [in] Graz.' The hard graft eventually paid dividends, and those early Monday morning drives to Graz were finally replaced with post-race debriefs as a fully-fledged F1 driver.

Source: Express May 23, 2024 17:47 UTC