Marko offers his verdict regarding Tsunoda's performance at Red Bull

Having completed his first three races at Red Bull, motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has offered his verdict regarding Yuki Tsunoda's first races with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

After only two races into the season, Yuki Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson at Red Bull in a swap deal from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards, partnering defending four-time world champion Max Verstappen for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Honda has been reported to have offered the team €10 million to have Tsunoda promoted in time for their home Grand Prix. The Japanese driver qualified fourteenth and finished twelfth on debut, as teammate Verstappen won the race.

The following race in Bahrain saw Tsunoda take his first points for Red Bull with a ninth-place finish. He qualified eighth in Saudi Arabia, but he retired from the race on Sunday after having suffered race-ending damage in a lap-one collision with Pierre Gasly.

Reflecting on Tsunoda's first three races with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, Red Bull motorsport director Dr Helmut Marko has indicated that Yuki Tsunoda has the desired level to retain his seat.

“You know, in free practice, when the pressure is not so high, he’s missing two or three tenths. None of the other drivers [were at that level]. In qualifying, he’s a little bit overdriving, but he’s on the way to perform and bring the points we needed.”

Pushed on to reveal the areas where Tsunoda still needs to improve, Marko stressed: "When the pressure is on in qualifying, he has to deliver.

"I knew how Max builds throughout the week, builds the confidence throughout the week, compared to how I build the confidence throughout the week.”

“It’s completely different because he already has massive confidence in this car. So I just make it separate and try to nail it down in qualifying.”

Commenting on his own performance, Tsunoda said: “I’m trying to use that, and I know that if I unlock that area, I would be able to probably beat him.

"I know myself that I can’t beat him straight away, so I’m just trying to build a good baseline and wait for the moment that I can be in the shape, yeah.”