Yuki Tsunoda’s performance during his home race weekend drew high praise from Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, Helmut Marko. Marko commended Tsunoda’s performance across the Suzuka weekend, likening it to the caliber of Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.
Tsunoda’s standout achievement was beating his teammate Daniel Ricciardo to secure the final place in Q3, followed by an impressive display on the track where he outpaced Lance Stroll from Aston Martin and other competitors to clinch the final point.
Although Tsunoda encountered a challenging start to the race by lining up on the medium compound tires, leaving him vulnerable to competitors on soft rubber, he quickly bounced back.
Following a restart prompted by his teammate’s first-lap crash, Tsunoda made a strategic switch to soft tires. This decision proved instrumental as he not only recovered the lost positions but also made further gains.
“At the second start, Yuki did sensationally well,” Marko expressed to Red Bull-owned publication Speed Week. “His overtaking maneuvers were the show of the day.
“The fans were completely over the moon. His weekend was at the level of Max, Alonso and co. Flawless, a great performance under the pressure of his home race.”
Marko’s comments serve as a source of encouragement for Tsunoda, suggesting that after spending four years with Red Bull’s secondary team, he may be seriously considered for a promotion to the senior squad.
However, despite Tsunoda’s potential, his teammate Sergio Perez’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year. Perez has commenced the season strongly, culminating in a second-place finish behind Verstappen on Sunday.
“Checo was also very solid,” remarked Marko. “He was unlucky at the pit stop, but he got himself back into the game with a great maneuver against Hamilton in the [130R] corner. He’s definitely having his best season with us so far.”
Marko hinted that Red Bull will defer the decision regarding Verstappen’s teammate for the following year until later in the season.
“In my opinion, the fact that the transfer rumor mill is already cooking like this at the beginning of April is due to several factors,” he stated.
“First: Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari so early. And if ‘radio paddock’ is to be trusted, Audi wants a decision from Carlos Sainz [Jnr] very soon. Aston Martin is also putting pressure in several directions.
“We do not take part in these games. We won’t hear from Red Bull Racing until the middle of the season about what’s going on in terms of personnel.”
