Helmut Marko has affirmed that Daniel Ricciardo must be “clearly faster” than Yuki Tsunoda if he wishes to be considered for a return to Red Bull next season. Marko acknowledged, “that hasn’t been the case so far.”
Ricciardo faced challenges in the early races in matching Tsunoda’s pace. Despite demonstrating improvements following a chassis alteration in China, his retirement, due to being punted off by Lance Stroll, has left him without a point this season.
In the quest to partner with Max Verstappen next season, Ricciardo, Tsunoda, and current seat holder Sergio Perez are all vying for the opportunity.
However, Perez’s strong performance at the beginning of the year has positioned him as the frontrunner to retain his position at Red Bull, at least for the time being. Team principal Christian Horner has consistently emphasized that the seat is Perez’s to lose.
Within the Red Bull team dynamics, Tsunoda has thus far held the advantage. Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko noted that Tsunoda’s temperament has evolved, stating that he is no longer the fiery competitor he once was.
Marko shared with Austrian publication Kleine Zeitung, “Yuki had a great start to the season and is no longer the hot runner he once was.
“There have only been a few races, so you can’t say much yet. But he has Daniel under control, even if it was close in Japan.”
Marko was asked if he had anticipated better performance from Ricciardo this season. He replied, “The expectation was that he had to be clearly faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of getting a seat at Red Bull. That hasn’t been the case so far, even if, as I said, it was close. We’ll see how that develops.”
Following his exit from the Chinese Grand Prix due to Stroll’s incident, Ricciardo expressed his frustration. Team principal Horner also commented before the weekend about what Ricciardo needs to do to position himself for a return to the ‘senior’ team.
“Well, I think that it’s pretty much in Daniel’s hands,” Horner stated in China. “He needs to show the kind of head-turning form to make not only ourselves but potentially to make others take notice – and we’re only at race five.”
