As Max Verstappen claimed a fourth World Championship in Las Vegas, teammate Sergio Perez could only manage 10th place. From Helmut Marko’s perspective, Red Bull need a driver that can be closer to Verstappen.
Marko: A disappointment to miss out on the constructors
With reports that Red Bull are cooling on their interest in Franco Colapinto, the question is whether they are willing to promote their own drivers.
Yuki Tsunoda continues to make a convincing case for himself, finishing ahead of Perez in Vegas to claim another points finish in P9.
Then again, Tsunoda’s performances have been strong throughout the season – and Red Bull have been hesitant to promote him.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Milton Keynes squad to overlook the Japanese driver.
Despite Verstappen’s Championship triumph, Helmut Marko makes clear that Red Bull need a stronger driver line-up.
“We have to have two drivers who finish in the points,” he told DAZN.
“Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio. For now, the main thing was to win the championship for Max.
“But for our employees it is a disappointment. Because they will not receive their bonuses, as they depend on our position in the constructors’ championship.
“And there’s no chance we can win it.”
Sergio Perez under mounting pressure
Ultimately, the situation at Red Bull and VCARB is fairly similar to what it was twelve months ago.
Sergio Perez is still unable to secure strong results, failing to register a top 5 finish since the Miami GP. Red Bull’s deficit to McLaren in the standings (54 points) could have been prevented if Perez were close to optimising his machinery.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are both showing immense speed this year – in addition to demonstrating clear potential for growth.
Tsunoda in particular can be credited with a high-level campaign, leading the way for VCARB in their battle for 6th in the standings.
Christian Horner’s reluctance to pull the trigger and put someone new alongside Max Verstappen has already cost Red Bull in the constructors title.
Time will tell if they repeat this mistake for 2025 – a season likely to be more competitive at the front than this one.
