After critiquing Yuki Tsunoda earlier this week, Helmut Marko has commended the driver.
Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull AlphaTauri now has a significant chance to disprove Helmut Marko’s assessment of his race pace after finishing eighth in the Australian Grand Prix qualifying. After placing 14th and 15th in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively, the Japanese driver had a difficult start to the 2024 season. This led to the Austrian driver criticizing the 23-year-old and his teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s performances.
Marko, who oversees the Red Bull development programme, strongly hinted that neither driver was currently positioning themselves as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez if the Mexican were to leave the team in the summer. Speaking to Sky Germany, he emphasized the high stakes for both Tsunoda and Ricciardo.
He indicated that both drivers might aspire to secure a seat at Red Bull, with one expected to outperform the other. Currently, Ricciardo appears to lag behind. Marko noted that while Tsunoda’s qualifying performance is acceptable, both drivers have shown insufficient pace during races.
Marko pointed out that there were missed opportunities for points in the first two races, stressing the importance of avoiding mistakes, particularly when competing against the top five teams. He emphasized the necessity of making correct decisions in critical moments.