F1 News
Marko on Tsunoda decision: 'Big steps in consistency'
Red Bull Racing chief advisor, Helmut Marko, has labeled Yuki Tsunoda's debut at the Austrian team ahead of his home race, the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, a coincidence, and has stated Tsunoda's 2025 'consistent spell' - of only two races - as the reason behind his appointment as Liam Lawson's replacement at Red Bull.
'Tsunoda and Lawson know the track well, that was not the reason'
"Yuki has shown impressive performances during the first two race weekends. What distinguished Lawson in the second half of the 2024 season, we now see with Yuki," began Marko in his column for Speedweek.
"That this switch, with promotion for Honda protégé Tsunoda, comes just before the home race in Japan and at Honda's own circuit, is purely coincidental. Of course it helps that Yuki knows this circuit well, but so does Lawson. So that was not the deciding factor."
Marko with harsh words for critics
The Austrian advisor responds to the critics of the Red Bull decision to swap Lawson with Tsunoda after only two races citing Tsunoda's big step in terms of consistency, after only two races into 2025.
"Of course, there are many pedantic critics who now remark: why was Tsunoda not favoured from the start? That is because Yuki has often had ups and downs in his career; he did not necessarily have the image of reliability and consistency.
Now, however, he has taken a big step in his development, including in terms of physical preparation - Tsunoda is now a real powerhouse."
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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