During the race, Tsunoda, who was in 13th place with hard tires, received instructions to switch positions with Ricciardo, who was on softer tires.
Helmut Marko, a senior consultant at Red Bull, recently had a conversation with Yuki Tsunoda about the incident at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Tsunoda was instructed to let his teammate Daniel Ricciardo pass him.
This discussion turned into a support session for Tsunoda, reflecting on the events of the opening of the 2024 F1 season.
While in 13th place with hard tires, Tsunoda reluctantly followed the instructions and switched positions with Ricciardo, who was on softer tires.
Tsunoda complied with visible frustration, which almost resulted in a collision during the cool-down lap.
Ricciardo criticized Tsunoda’s actions as “immature,” while Marko acknowledged that the situation could have been handled better, but understood Tsunoda’s dissatisfaction. Marko mentioned that a different strategy could have allowed Tsunoda to finish 10th instead of 14th.
Despite this setback for the Red Bull team, the main Red Bull team had a successful weekend, with Max Verstappen winning the race from pole position and Sergio Perez securing second place, marking a strong start to the season.
Marko praised the team’s performance and looked ahead to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, mentioning the differences in the Jeddah track and expressing optimism about the car’s performance potential.
Marko’s comments were in response to predictions from Franz Tost, a former team principal, who believes Red Bull could further dominate the season.
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Marko also shared insights about Verstappen’s performance, especially his impressive lap time, which was significantly faster than any other competitor.
Although there were predictions that Red Bull could win all 24 races, Marko remained cautious, referring to the challenges faced in the previous season, especially at the Singapore Grand Prix.
He emphasized that the team’s main goal is to win the World Championship title, and with a promising start in Bahrain, Red Bull and Verstappen seem to be strong contenders to achieve this goal in the 2024 F1 season, potentially making Verstappen a four-time world champion.
