F1 News: Helmut Marko reveals RB star's future in DOUBT

Marko arrives in Jeddah Corniche paddock — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Marko reveals RB star's future in DOUBT

Yuki Tsunoda is being tracked for an F1 move to a rival team

Originally written by Shay Rogers. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 26 March 2024 18:00

Helmut Marko has admitted that one young Formula 1 driver is being lined up by other teams for a possible move beyond the end of the 2024 season.

Currently, there are a few question marks over the futures of certain drivers within the Red Bull talent pool – particularly Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo.

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However, Red Bull lie top of the constructors’ standings, while sister team Visa Cash App RB are sixth after a fantastic performance by Yuki Tsunoda at the Australian Grand Prix.

While they haven’t extracted everything possible from every race so far, they are still achieving about as much as they could have hoped for at this stage.

All of the attention has been on Perez, Ricciardo and even Carlos Sainz regarding a future Red Bull seat, but one man has been conducting his business fairly quietly, and is now starting to be noticed by rival teams.

Daniel Ricciardo has struggled for pace in 2024

In the absence of any heroics from his more experienced Australian team-mate Ricciardo, he has stepped up to deliver in his fourth season in F1.

Helmut Marko chats with Red Bull boss Christian Horner

Where could Tsunoda land next?

It’s something that Red Bull advisor Marko told speekweek.com that he had noticed, and it’s causing other teams to sniff around the Japanese driver.

"His problems were lack of control, outbursts and proneness to errors,” said Marko. “All of that is gone this season. Yuki came to Europe very young and that is very, very hard for a Japanese person.

“It's a completely different life for us. But now things are working, and Yuki is being noticed on the driver market.”

Honda’s 2026 engine deal with Aston Martin could hold serious repercussions for Tsunoda’s future, with the company that backs his career switching allegiance.

Will Fernando Alonso be around by then aged 44? It’s hard to tell. But maybe Tsunoda will be considered a front-running candidate for any future Aston Martin seats available, with Honda in mind.

Red Bull Formula 1 Daniel Ricciardo Sergio Perez Yuki Tsunoda Helmut Marko