Helmut Marko spoke negatively about Red Bull’s chances of competing for the title, and the cause is Yuki Tsunoda.
Yuki Tsunoda took the Red Bull seat by replacing Liam Lawson after just two races into the season, but Helmut Marko admitted the Japanese driver’s struggles. Number 22 is having difficulty keeping up with Max Verstappen’s pace, and the risk is that he could fall into the same negative spiral that affects all of the Dutchman’s teammates.
Helmut Marko began by commenting on Red Bull’s season in general. He explained that the expectations for this start were higher, especially regarding competition with McLaren. “There was the great illusion that we could get closer to McLaren after the restrictions on wing flexibility. We’re not any closer, we’re still missing 3–4 tenths, and we hoped to recover in Barcelona, but that didn’t happen.”
Helmut Marko then focused on the team’s chances of winning the championship, both Drivers’ and Constructors’. Starting with the Drivers’, he explained: “To win the Drivers’ title, we need a car that is competitive on all tracks and not just on specific circuits—that’s not enough. Against the current strength of McLaren, you only have a chance if everything goes perfectly. We have the perfect driver, but all the other factors also have to be perfect: pit stops, strategy, car, tyre wear.”
“We’re 49 points behind the championship leader. That’s a big gap and if we can’t do better, at some point the chances of winning the title will disappear. As for the Constructors’, we’ve already ruled out the possibility of winning.” Following these words came a form of blame aimed at the new Red Bull driver. “This is something that is obviously tied to the second driver, because Yuki Tsunoda is integrating slowly.”
These statements could be a way to put pressure on the Japanese driver, whose objective now must be to get closer to Verstappen in order to help the team close the gap to McLaren.
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