As the competition for the 2025 Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen intensifies, Helmut Marko has issued a warning to Daniel Ricciardo, emphasizing the need for him to step up his game following consecutive disappointing races.
Yuki Tsunoda’s strong performances in qualifying, outpacing Ricciardo for two consecutive races and widening the gap to half a second in Saudi Arabia, have highlighted his potential.
Despite encountering setbacks such as a prolonged pit stop for Ricciardo and a five-second penalty for Tsunoda in the recent races, neither Red Bull driver managed to secure any points, contributing to a lackluster start to the season for the highly anticipated junior team.
Amidst the anticipation that Red Bull Racing would be contenders in Formula 1’s midfield this season, with even Max Verstappen suggesting they could achieve podium finishes, attention is now turning to the internal competition to replace Sergio Perez next season.
Currently, Perez is leading the charge, securing back-to-back runner-up finishes and effectively fulfilling Red Bull’s objective of collecting valuable points behind Verstappen‘s race victories.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda appears to be the front-runner within Red Bull’s ranks, with Marko expressing his satisfaction with the Japanese driver’s performances in qualifying.
βA word about the Racing Bulls,β he stated. βThereβs a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel.
βYukiβs qualifying performance was very good and Ricciardo has to come up with something soon.β
However, the Austrian is seeking overall improvement at Red Bull Racing as a whole, acknowledging the team’s challenges in terms of pace during the Grands Prix. This was evident in Tsunoda’s drop from ninth to 14th position in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
βWhere there is work,β Marko continued, βa least Tsunoda is very good in qualifying, then they are at the top of the World Championship points in the first stint, only to fall further and further behind afterwards.
βThey cannot maintain the speed in the long term. Whether they are putting too much strain on the tyres or there are other reasons is what they need to find out.β
As Liam Lawson awaits his opportunity at Red Bull, the stakes are raised even higher heading into the 2025 season.
If Red Bull decides to retain Perez, who has performed admirably this season, it could spell trouble for either Tsunoda or Ricciardo, potentially leaving them without a seat if the team chooses to promote reserve driver Lawson.
