F1 News: Helmut Marko 'does not rate' RB driver 'FORCED' on the team, claims top pundit

Helmut Marko, generic, Bahrain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Marko 'does not rate' F1 driver 'FORCED' on team

Was Yuki Tsunoda pushed into RB’s lap by engine supplier Honda?

Shay Rogers

Wednesday 3 April 2024 11:59

Yuki Tsunoda has shown a steady rate of improvement since joining Formula 1 in 2021 and his current form is catching the eye of rival teams.

A seventh place finish the Japanese driver secured at the Australian Grand Prix is the sole difference between sixth and last place in the constructors’ standings for the Visa Cash App RB team.

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His more experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo has struggled in comparison and is 3-0 down in the qualifying head-to-head.

There was a rash moment at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix where Tsunoda showed a bit of immaturity after being forced to move over for Ricciardo, but he has cracked on with the task at hand since.

The Japanese star's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but his impressive performances could earn him a drive at another team on the grid for 2025.

Yuki Tsunoda has performed admirably in 2024

Helmut Marko helps to oversee Red Bull's talent

What does Yuki Tsunoda's future hold?

He’s backed by Japanese engine supplier Honda and could be in with a chance of a future Aston Martin drive with the two companies set to link up beyond 2026.

Now BBC pundit Andrew Benson has claimed that Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko ‘does not rate’ Tsunoda, who was ‘forced’ on him by Honda.

Yuki Tsunoda drives the Visa Cash App RB at Jeddah

But some people inside RB believe that is unfair and that Tsunoda has been performing at an ‘elite’ level in 2024.

If he continues to outperform Daniel Ricciardo, he could find himself paired up with Kiwi driver Liam Lawson very soon, who has been patiently waiting for a shot in Formula 1 within the Red Bull programme.

Likewise, if Sergio Perez cannot consistently find form alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, then Tsunoda could be considered as a stop-gap option for the defending F1 champions.