Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Dr Helmut Marko says he’s seen encouraging signs from Yuki Tsunoda, despite a poor run of form since his promotion to replace Liam Lawson alongside the team's benchmark driver Max Verstappen.
Writing in his SpeedWeek column following the Austrian Grand Prix and British Grand Prix, Marko noted the Tsunoda’s qualifying effort at Silverstone as a potential turning point for the Red Bull driver: “Yuki Tsunoda has had some tough weekends.
"But we saw an upward trend at Silverstone: his gap to Max in most free practice sessions was smaller than before, and he qualified 11th. “We’ve had intensive discussions with Yuki, and he’s also working with sports psychologists… we’re optimistic that [these signs] will soon translate into points," revealed Marko, of the Japanese driver.
That optimism runs contrary to Tsunoda’s current statistics and general paddock sentiment. Christian Horner had defended the driver’s progress before his own ousting as team boss last week, but Tsunoda is far off the benchmark set by Verstappen.
Lawson and Hadjar find their feet in F1 midfield as Lindblad looms
Marko also reviewed Racing Bulls’ fluctuating fortunes, praising Lawson’s P6 in Austria but noting the field’s competitiveness: “The midfield in today’s Formula 1 is incredibly tight, and people sometimes forget that Liam and Isack make up the youngest driver pairing on the grid.. If everything comes together, Isack and Liam can mix it at the front of the midfield.”
Arvid Lindblad, the 17-year-old Red Bull Junior, took part in a test outing with the senior team at Silverstone and impressed: “From our perspective, the teenager did an excellent job – his speed was right, his feedback was insightful, and the engineers were very pleased.”
Lindblad returned for further running the following week, completing over 100 laps with “great physical condition and competitive lap times”, said Marko, hinting the F2 rookie could be next in line for a seat.
Mekies and Permane promotions confirm Red Bull’s internal succession plan
Marko confirmed that Laurent Mekies and Alan Permane’s promotions to team principal roles at Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, respectively, reflect a strategy to promote from within: “Alan was the obvious choice… we didn’t want to bring in someone from outside. Laurent… has everything it takes to lead a top team with a steady hand."
Marko also addressed the failed low-downforce gamble that undermined Verstappen’s race: “Our weather forecast predicted morning rain easing by midday… We knew the setup was risky, but given McLaren’s dominance, it was the only way we could realistically challenge them.”
That call ultimately cost Verstappen as rain persisted and grip vanished. “Max then had an uncharacteristic spin. Without that error, he could have finished third… a podium should still have been within reach,” lamented Marko.
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