Red Bull Racing’s Disappointment with Yuki Tsunoda Threatens Championship Dreams
Red Bull Racing’s consultant didn’t hold back on his dissatisfaction with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda’s performance. In the seven races he has competed for Red Bull, Tsunoda has only managed to score seven points, a far cry from what the team expected. Helmut Marko, in an interview with Speedweek, expressed his concern, stating, “We are still three or four tenths behind McLaren, the disappointment is immense. If we don’t improve, our chances of winning the drivers’ championship will dwindle. In the constructors’ championship, we no longer have any chance, partly due to our second driver, as Yuki Tsunoda is adapting slowly.”
Marko didn’t mince his words when criticizing Tsunoda’s recent performances, noting, “He has only scored one point in the last three races, which is unsatisfactory. He damaged the underbody and other new components in Imola, so he is not using the same materials as Max. What’s concerning is that Yuki is often just a tenth behind Max in free practice, but the gap widens in qualifying. Under pressure, he struggles. He needs more time to adapt, and we expect him to stay in the car until the end of the season.”
The underwhelming results from Tsunoda have put a dent in Red Bull’s hopes for the championship titles, with Marko’s blunt assessment painting a grim picture for the team’s prospects. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Tsunoda to see if he can turn the tide and salvage Red Bull’s championship ambitions.