Marko: Tsunoda has to motivate himself

Once again, Tsunoda missed out on a Red Bull Racing seat as the team opted to place Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen for the 2025 F1 season.

Such was the Racing Bulls driver's frustration that he decided to split with his management team after being snubbed by the Milton Keynes squad.

But now, Tsunoda's future path in F1 is more vague as he now has to prove his worth against a new teammate in the form of rookie Isack Hadjar as he waits to see how Lawson performs in the seat he so coveted.

Asked about Tsunoda's future, Marko hinted that 2025 may be a make-or-break year for the driver; he simply said: "He has to show it himself.

"He has a young, fast teammate next to him, and it's his own future, you know, so he has to motivate himself. If he is doing well, then there is a future. If not, then maybe there's no more chance in F1 for him," he added.

Marko, when asked why Red Bull chose Lawson over Tsunoda, pointed out the latter's vulnerability that has been clear for some time now; he said: "The decision was mainly a question of mental strength.

“Around Mexico, Yuki unfortunately had his two accidents, and at the time Liam did very well. So it was more or less looking at all the facts for us [and then at the reasons] why we have chosen Liam," the Austrian concluded.

What makes Tsunoda's future even more unclear is the fact that Honda, who have supported his F1 career so far, will no longer supply Red Bull Racing with power units from 2026 onwards. Instead, the Japanese automaker will join forces with Aston Martin.

But Honda appear to have left Tsunoda out to dry based on what Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said when asked about the 24-year-old driver's future.

Watanabe said: "Tsunoda has a sponsorship agreement with us. He is fundamentally an independent driver, but we support him as a sponsor.

"He needs to take action himself,” the Honda motorsport boss added. "He’s now in his fifth year, has the ability, and understands the world of F1 well. There’s not much more we can do for him.

“Drivers can't rely on Honda forever. Someone of Tsunoda’s career level needs to think for himself," Watanabe concluded.

Tsunoda has to work hard to regain Red Bull's trust so he could keep his Racing Bulls seat beyond 2025, while a Red Bull Racing seat will be down to how Lawson performs and a far shot even if Verstappen himself decided to jump ship later, as the team will be looking for a star driver to replace the Dutchman, something Tsunoda isn't.

There is always a chance to follow Honda to Aston Martin, but Watanabe's statements are not encouraging, and the opportunity there would be a reserve role at best with Fernando Alonso still there, while only a miracle would see Lance Stroll lose his seat.