Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has revealed what Yuki Tsunoda needs to improve on to be successful at the team.
After initially signing rookie Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez for 2025, Red Bull moved Tsunoda into the New Zealander’s seat alongside Max Verstappen just two races into the season. Joining the team ahead of his home Grand Prix in Suzuka, the Japanese driver has been struggling to adapt to the RB21. He has scored just seven points since he joined – four in Grands Prix and three in the Miami sprint race.
“Yuki started well. He didn’t have the success we expected from him, but on Friday, he’s always within a tenth or two of Max, which we didn’t have for years,” Marko explained to The Inside Track.
“We have to, or Yuki has to translate his speed, which is there, into points. He has the talent to get to the podium. He improved also in his personal approach. We all know how impulsive Yuki can be on the radio -he learned out of it.
“He is a quick driver. He just has to get his act together – not to try to beat Max, which is impossible. But I think he has accepted that, and I hope he will make a lot of points.”
The Milton Keynes outfit’s machinery is thought to be designed around Verstappen’s driving style, which many other drivers struggle to adapt to. If Tsunoda continues to struggle with the car, it is likely that he will not secure a contract extension for 2026.
Then, the Racing Bulls drivers would likely get a look-in for the seat. Lawson’s team-mate Isack Hadjar has impressed in his debut and has a similar driving style to Verstappen, which could suit the RB21.
“For sure, I don’t feel ready. That’s a fact,” Hadjar said to the media ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
“I think it’s good to take experience where I’m at. I’m enjoying so much every weekend, learning a lot. It’s a car I enjoy driving, so we’ll see in the future. As a Red Bull Junior driver, the trajectory is normal to go there.”
Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
Marko also commented on Arvid Lindblad, a Red Bull junior driver currently competing in Formula 2, insisting that there is “plenty of talent in the pipeline.”
“There’s Lindblad, who is 17 years old,” Marko said. “His father is Swedish, the mother is Indian. And when we signed him, it was also him who made all the decisions. He was asking the right questions, and at that stage, he was — I think — 12 or so. So there’s plenty [of talent] in the pipeline.”
Speaking about the possibility of an F1 future for Lindblad, Marko added, “He is impressive, but the results don’t show it. He was twice unlucky — when he was on the way to pole position, and the red flag came out.
“The last one was eight-tenths of a second, which kept him out — that he would have got. But it is his mental strength, his commitment, and his very professional approach.”
