SUMMARY
- Red Bull eyes driver changes as contracts expire for Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Sergio Perez.
- Marko praises Tsunoda's recent performance, hinting at a possible Red Bull seat.
The 2024 season will be the year when the driver market will open up as Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Sergio Perez are slated to be out of contract. As far as the reports go, Red Bull is planning to replace Perez with Ricciardo in the upcoming campaign unless the former outperforms the Australian. The Milton Keynes-based team is supposedly determined to launch Liam Lawson in Formula 1.
However Tsunoda has exceeded Ricciardo this season, and he certainly wished to prevail over him. Though there had been a little optimism early on, Tsunoda is now ahead of Ricciardo. There were reports that Red Bull intended to sign McLaren driver Lando Norris but CEO Zak Brown cleared the doubts. The pressure is on the Japanese driver and his Australian counterpart to secure a seat at Red Bull.
Helmut Marko lauds Yuki Tsunoda for P8 spot at Australia
Austrian advisor, Helmut Marko is one of the key figures at the garage of the reigning champions. He was one of the few who praised Ricciardo for his performance as he made it to F1 after replacing Nyck de Vries midseason. However, the 34-year-old driver did not quite live up to Marko’s expectations. He constantly showcased subpar performance after his comeback to the grid.
Helmut Marko praises Yuki Tsunoda’s performance:
“He made it into the top 10 again, that was an incredible performance, he was always there, without mistakes.”
“..the top five teams are so strong that you manage to get in there [top 10], that’s an incredible achievement.”… pic.twitter.com/5EmOeXozZK
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) March 23, 2024
As the qualifying session at the Australian GP concluded, Marko could not help himself as he acknowledged the thrilling driving prowess showcased by Yuki Tsunoda. The Red Bull advisor stated, “He made it into the top 10 again, that was an incredible achievement, he was always there, without making any mistakes.”
Marko elaborated, “I hope that he can now get into the points because the speed is there. That was the case in the first two races. That would be great because the first five teams are so strong that you can manage to get in there, that’s an incredible achievement.” It appears that the 23-year-old driver has caught the attention of Marko, positioning him as a strong contender for the Red Bull seat.
Marko’s contradictory remarks on Ricciardo and Tsunoda’s practice performance
Less than 24 hours ago, Helmut Marko criticized Tsunoda’s performance instead of praising it, making a bold statement about the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls’ drivers’ performance. The drivers face a tough challenge in proving their worth for the coveted Red Bull seat, mirroring the pressure on the team itself. While the options are vast yet limited, Marko and the Austrian outfit must choose a fitting driver to compete alongside Max Verstappen.
Helmut Marko calls Tsunoda and Ricciardo ‘too slow’ in the races:
“There’s a lot at stake for [Tsunoda and Ricciardo]. Both might be hoping for a seat at Red Bull, and one should be well ahead of the other.”
“So far Ricciardo is a bit behind. But let’s put it this way:… pic.twitter.com/njh5CwFNxU
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) March 22, 2024
As the practice session at Melbourne concluded, Marko spoke with the media where he stated, “Ricciardo is currently a bit behind and Tsunoda is, therefore, faster, but outside of his qualifying he still has to improve. During the race, they are both still too slow.” Both Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have become sluggish, Marko declared, highlighting the necessity of outperforming Perez to get promoted.
Disappointed by their lack of points in the first two races due to mistakes, Marko doubts their suitability for the senior team. He insists on error-free performances for any driver eyeing the prestigious Red Bull seat.