Yuki Tsunoda’s sixth-place finish in Baku marked his strongest performance with Red Bull, but the Japanese driver wasn’t entirely satisfied.He battled fiercely with Liam Lawson, a teammate vying for the same F1 future, for fifth place just ahead of him. Despite the close call, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko offered praise for Tsunoda’s efforts.
While media speculation occasionally paints a different picture, sources suggest Red Bull is looking to fast-track Isack Hadjar into the main team alongside Max Verstappen next year, with promising youngster Arvid Lindblad perhaps joining the “Racing Bulls” (Red Bull’s junior team). the team reportedly feels they lack a ready-made successor to Verstappen, prompting a push to develop Hadjar and Lindblad into future stars.
If these plans materialize, the final seat in the Racing bulls could come down to a showdown between Tsunoda and Lawson. Both drivers showcased their competitive spirit in Baku, engaging in a spirited fight for fifth. Although Tsunoda ultimately lost the position, Helmut Marko expressed satisfaction with his performance.
“After Monza,we sat down together,” Marko told German Sky. “At certain points in the race, Tsunoda was slower than Max. That’s why we took a different approach. Simply put, as he doesn’t have Max’s experience, he needs more coaching.”
According to the Austrian advisor, Red Bull has begun to pay closer attention to Tsunoda’s feedback. In the past, Tsunoda had shied away from analyzing Verstappen’s telemetry, finding it arduous to replicate the Dutch driver’s on-track prowess.”You have to show him comparable data,such as,what Max does in a corner,where he brakes,how hard he brakes,etc.,” Marko explained. “Additionally, we’ve set up the car more to his liking, making it less sensitive to inputs.”
However, Tsunoda’s defeat in the duel with Lawson is a setback he can ill afford.Marko acknowledged this directly. “Yuki came out of the pits ahead of Liam,but Liam overtook him. He was instructed to push as hard as possible in the final laps before the pit stops and went out on track ahead of him,” Marko stated.
“His tires apparently weren’t warm enough, and Lawson overtook him. However, it shows that there’s healthy competition between the two drivers,” Marko added.
