Marko on Tsunoda’s Surprising Rise: “He’s a Different Driver Now”

Yuki Tsunoda’s stunning form convinced Red Bull to act fast, sidelining Lawson after just two races in a shock 2025 shake-up.

Yuki Tsunoda’s 2025 season didn’t just start strong — it started with a shockwave. Just two races in, Red Bull Racing made the bold call to promote the Japanese driver to the top team, sidelining Liam Lawson in a move few saw coming. What changed? According to Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko — everything.

“Tsunoda has taken a huge step forward. It’s strange — this is his fifth season, but now he suddenly has a much stronger personality,” Marko told the BBC. “He’s gained confidence, and it really showed in the first two races.”

Red Bull had hesitated to pick Tsunoda over Lawson during the off-season, instead pairing Lawson with Max Verstappen. But after two race weekends, the team changed course — fast.

“Yuki had two really good performances,” Marko added. “His strategy just didn’t play out well at Racing Bulls, but driving a tricky car like that actually worked in his favor. That kind of experience matters.”

As for Lawson, Marko admits the team worried that a shaky start might derail the young Kiwi’s confidence — something they couldn’t afford with both the Constructors’ Championship and Verstappen’s title bid in play.

“If your second driver isn’t at his best mentally, it can impact the whole team. And strategically, having two drivers consistently in the top five or top eight makes it much easier to support your lead driver,” Marko explained.

Still, Lawson’s F1 journey isn’t over. Marko insists the door remains wide open — and draws comparisons to other drivers who bounced back after setbacks within the Red Bull family.

“Liam isn’t out of Formula 1. He’s going back to Racing Bulls, which has a car capable of fighting for top 10 finishes. Look at Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon — they both rebuilt their careers after tough spells, and now they’re competitive F1 drivers again.”

As for the RB21, Marko admits it’s not the fastest — but it’s a real handful. “Max can handle it, but Liam’s not there yet. That car is tough to drive.”

The One That Got Away: Carlos Sainz

Interestingly, Red Bull had talks with Carlos Sainz last year — a reunion that never came to be. In hindsight, Marko admits Sainz might’ve been the ideal pick, but the timing wasn’t right.

“When he was available, things looked different. At the start of the year, Sergio Pérez was finishing second and performing well. Later on, things changed — Checo started struggling with the car.”

And what about Max Verstappen’s future? Marko doesn’t shy away from the possibility that Max could leave if Red Bull’s form slips.

“We’re absolutely focused on winning this fifth title. But yes, if we don’t deliver results, all top drivers have performance clauses in their contracts. We know that.”

That’s why the team recently had a key meeting with Verstappen and the engineers, discussing how to make the car more stable and easier to drive.

“There was a really constructive talk. The goal is to give Max a car that can win. There are only two races left and we’re eight points behind — it’s still all to play for.”

Marko finished with optimism: “The whole team is pushing for this fifth championship — something we never got with Sebastian Vettel, but we believe is possible now. When you look at Max’s pace on the hard tires, we were right there. Not quite like McLaren everywhere, but not far off either.”

• Discover More>Lawson: Red Bull’s RB21 Was a Whole Different Beast to Drive
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Marko Backs Yuki: ‘Stronger, Sharper – He’s Ready Now’
Marko Backs Yuki: ‘Stronger, Sharper – He’s Ready Now’