Helmut Marko urges rival F1 driver not to ‘give up’ £5.5m a year contract amid Red Bull uncertainty

Red Bull might soon be active players in the F1 driver market again, with uncertainty now engulfing Yuki Tsunoda’s future at the team ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old is contesting his eighth round as a Red Bull driver in Montreal this week. But Tsunoda is also fighting for his future, having so far scored only seven points in seven rounds since the Japanese ace replaced Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate this March.

Red Bull are also still waiting for Tsunoda to finish a Grand Prix higher than the P9 he scored during his second outing for the Milton Keynes outfit back in Bahrain. He also earned P10 in Miami and Imola, along with finishing the Sprint in P6, but his form is holding Red Bull back.

Verstappen has scored 137 of Red Bull’s 144 points so far this season to ensure they at least sit fourth in the F1 constructors’ championship ahead of the Canadian GP. But Red Bull may release Tsunoda as soon as the 2025 summer break if the Kanagawa native cannot improve.

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko urges Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg not to break his Audi contract

Even amid the doubts surrounding Tsunoda’s future for Red Bull, motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has urged Sauber star Nico Hulkenberg against breaking out of his contract with Audi. The Austrian admits even he would not ‘give up’ a deal to lead Audi’s debut in F1 next term.

Audi signed Hulkenberg to a £5.5m a year contract through 2027 as the German automotive giant reshaped Sauber’s driver line-up for 2025 in preparation for taking the team over next term. Audi appreciated the form that Hulkenberg had enjoyed since returning to F1 in 2023.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Hulkenberg has also impressed Marko since Haas brought the 37-year-old back into a full-time F1 seat after two years as a reserve driver. His return could have come with Red Bull in 2021 if Sergio Perez had not won his first F1 race at the 2020 Sakhir GP with Racing Point.

Marko has told Sky Germany about Hulkenberg: “I have to say, he’s done very well after his unexpected comeback. Maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t get the seat next to Max.

“He was in discussions, then Perez won the race in Bahrain – which was just in the deciding phase – and that tipped the scales.”

Marko added: “He has a long-term contract with Sauber/Audi. That’s something I wouldn’t give up.”

Nico Rosberg urges Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar to let Arvid Lindblad get promoted to Red Bull

Red Bull could be looking for a new driver soon if Tsunoda cannot improve his form, and the favourite to replace the Japanese racer is Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar. But Nico Rosberg is adamant that the 20-year-old must turn down Red Bull if they offer Hadjar the promotion.

Red Bull are expected to release Tsunoda after the 2025 F1 season, if not earlier, and admire what Hadjar has achieved since they put him in Racing Bulls’ line-up after promoting Lawson to replace Perez. Hadjar is the second-highest scoring Red Bull driver in 2025 with 21 points.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

So, Hadjar is Red Bull’s first-choice target to replace Tsunoda, but Rosberg believes he has to turn down any offer. The 2016 F1 champion even feels Hadjar should let Red Bull prospect and Formula 2 rookie Arvid Lindblad jump straight into the seat, should it become available.

Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1 (14/06, 18:01): “If you get called up by Red Bull, you say, ‘No!’. It’s not difficult, you just say, ‘No’. There is no choice. You do not go there. You do not go next to Max Verstappen.

“It doesn’t matter [whether the chance never comes around again]. You just say, ‘No’. Give it to [Lindblad]. If he wants to take it, you should be like, ‘Be my guest. After you, Sir’.”