Helmut Marko confirmed it is simply a “coincidence” that Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull ahead of his home race.

The Red Bull senior advisor confirmed that was not “the deciding factor” when opting to switch Tsunoda and Liam Lawson after just two rounds of the 2025 season.

Marko: Yuki Tsunoda promotion timing ‘a coincidence’

Tsunoda has been moved into the senior Red Bull seat ahead of his, and power unit supplier Honda’s, home race at the weekend, but Marko was quick to point out that this timing is merely coincidental.

Marko singled Tsunoda out for praise for his start to the season, saying he has “made a leap in his development” compared to recent seasons, which made him a candidate to replace Lawson when it became clear he was struggling.

The Red Bull advisor made it clear Lawson has been sent back to Racing Bulls with the hope of regaining his confidence after a difficult start to the year, having initially been promoted over Tsunoda in place of Sergio Perez.

With the timing of the move, however, Marko clarified the “deciding factor” behind the swap did not come as a result of Tsunoda and Honda marking their home event at Suzuka, with Lawson also holding experience of having raced in Japan previously.

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“Of course, there are many know-it-alls who will object: Why wasn’t Tsunoda given preference right from the start?” Marko wrote in a column for Speedweek.

“The reason is that Yuki has often had ups and downs in his career, he didn’t exactly have the image of reliability and consistency. But now he has made a leap in his development, also in terms of physical preparation, Tsunoda is now a real muscleman.

“Yuki has shown impressive performances at the first two race weekends. So what Lawson excelled at in the second half of the 2024 season, we now recognise in Yuki.

“The fact that this change of position with promotion for Honda protégé Tsunoda comes just before the home race in Japan and at Honda’s home circuit is a coincidence.

“Of course it helps that Yuki knows this race track well, but that also applies to Lawson. That was not the deciding factor.”

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