Marko wasn’t aware of difference between Red Bull F1 cars

Yuki Tsunoda has claimed Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko only became aware of the disparity between his and Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 car specifications at the Belgian and Hungarian grands prix.

The Japanese driver made the step up to the senior of Red Bull’s two F1 teams after just two rounds of the 2025 campaign, replacing Liam Lawson who went the other way back to Racing Bulls.

But Tsunoda has been under pressure having struggled to score points consistently, with Marko characteristically keeping his purposeful gaze on the situation.

However, after being given a new floor at Spa-Francorchamps which largely matched team-mate Verstappen’s, Tsunoda took his best qualifying result for the Milton Keynes-based squad.

That has given him the confidence to attack the final 10 races of the season in an attempt to cement his plans for 2026.

“Yeah, definitely I have to show more,” he said ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. “But actually, the last two races before summer break, that helped a little bit.

“Probably they didn’t recognise that much, especially Helmut, that the difference between me and Max in terms of the package differences. And as soon as they introduced that, my pace suddenly improved.

“In Hungary, the difference between me and Max was very small since practice and that shows that actually, maybe I have some potential. So I think I just keep what I’m doing, but also at the same time, still have to put it all together throughout the week, you can’t just probably rely on the pace.

“I need to score points. That’s why I was preparing for it in this summer break and just need to score points as much as possible.

“In terms of time, we kind of agreed what kind of time we are looking for me to show good performance, in order to let them decide what kind of contract they want for next year. But, let’s see.”

While Tsunoda is likely to remain in place for next season given the changing regulations, Isack Hadjar’s impressive debut campaign with Racing Bulls has put him in the mix to join Verstappen.

And while speculation linking IndyCar champion Alex Palou was swiftly dismissed before the Zandvoort weekend, the fact rumours persist highlights just how precarious Tsunoda’s footing is.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images

“Maybe Helmut’s thinking in the background [about sending Tsunoda back to Racing Bulls]. I never know what he’s thinking, to be honest,” added Tsunoda

“But for now, I understand he’s looking for me to show the performance. I think the last two races after I got upgrades, there’s some recognition from that performance.

“Actually, there’s a huge difference before that. And I think that helps him and myself to give a bit more time to see how this situation evolves.

“I think he supported me quite a lot. But obviously, he’s also quite a straightforward guy. He’s here for the team and he wants to have points as much as possible. So, I need to perform for sure.

“But if I understand it correctly, he’s still waiting a bit of time to define what’s good for Red Bull and I think let’s see for Racing Bulls or whatever.

“They’re performing quite well currently and it’s a team that I have been for a long time. So, obviously, my main goal is to still stick with Red Bull. But, let’s see.”