Red Bull Tension: Marko Doubts Tsunoda, Questions Perez’s Form

Helmut Marko’s blunt assessment casts doubts over Tsunoda and Perez, stirring tension within Red Bull ahead of the Mexican GP.

Helmut Marko, advisor to Red Bull, delivered harsh criticism towards Yuki Tsunoda, the RB F1 driver, following an incident during qualifying for the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix, which, in Marko’s view, demonstrated that Tsunoda remains “too unstable.”

Tsunoda had shown strong form throughout the practice sessions, finishing third in FP1 and FP2, and seventh in FP3. The Japanese driver had been aiming for a top-10 appearance in Q3 on Saturday, but that ambition went unfulfilled.

A spin at Turn 12 of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit proved costly for Tsunoda, dropping him to 11th place when his pace suggested he could have finished 7th and reached Q3.

“He is still too unstable,” remarked Marko. “Yuki also spun in Austin, and now there’s this accident in qualifying.”

“We thought he had found stability, but apparently not. Now, with the pressure building up from Liam Lawson, it’s becoming even more evident.”

Tsunoda’s spin sent him into the barriers at Turn 12, damaging his upgraded RB F1, further aggravating Marko’s frustration.

“He’s got a new floor, just like Lawson, and I’m not sure if there are spare parts. If we had to rebuild, we’d be relegated to the back of the grid. It was a completely unnecessary accident.”

Marko’s pointed comments carry significant weight: they offer yet another reason for Red Bull’s reluctance to promote Tsunoda to a seat at Red Bull Racing. While Honda has secured a test in the RB20 for him at the end of the season, it is increasingly evident that there is little desire to do more for the Japanese driver, whose ties to “Honda” remain too strong.

Marko is Also Disillusioned with Perez

Marko’s comments on Perez’s Q1 elimination were equally noteworthy—and scathing.

“Well, I appreciate his father’s optimism about seeing him as a future world champion, but…”

“I heard him on the radio complaining a lot about brake issues. We’ll have to see what’s going on. But, unfortunately, the recovery we all hoped for just hasn’t materialised.”

Amid the tense atmosphere between Red Bull and Perez, the Mexican driver’s main personal sponsor has even threatened to withdraw. Telmex, the telecommunications company chaired by billionaire Carlos Slim, has supported Perez since his debut in F1 in 2011.

With AT&T’s increased sponsorship involvement with Red Bull, Slim believes “it is counterproductive to have two major telecommunications companies sponsoring the same team.”

Telmex intends to continue as Perez’s personal sponsor should he move elsewhere. A similar situation occurred for Perez in 2013 when he was with McLaren, which had Vodafone as its title sponsor.

“The matter of Checo’s contract is separate from our sponsorship arrangement, as it always has been since he joined the team,” said Slim.

“But if continuing with the team were no longer possible, we would certainly continue with Checo. The intention is to stay with Checo—wherever he goes, we’ll be with him.”