Marko: Illegal test threat was only a joke

Helmut Marko has said that he was "only joking" when he suggested that Red Bull might boycott the young drivers test and use its race drivers at a "private" test.

On Monday, following a report in The Times newspaper, the Austrian was moved to deny that Red Bull was so furious at Mercedes' light penalty in the 'tyre-gate' hearing that it was considering also breaking the rules to its advantage.

"Of course we wouldn't break the rules," Marko told

Sport Bild.

He told Germany's Welt newspaper that he had only made the suggestion of duplicating Mercedes' illegal test because the benefits might outweigh the light penalty.

"It was purely sarcastic," he insisted. "I wanted to demonstrate that, with such a [mild] judgement [by the international tribunal], it might be worth the risk.

"We are frustrated that someone is found guilty on all counts and then sentenced to a punishment that they themselves proposed," added Marko.

Indeed, Welt

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