The internal divide at Red Bull is no secret. Clear disagreements between their senior personnel, including Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, have become quite public this season. Among these points of contention is Yuki Tsunoda, whose abilities are perceived very differently within the Red Bull camp.
Marko does not discount Yuki Tsunoda as a Red Bull candidate
For the last three seasons, Tsunoda can be credited with performing at a solid level. He largely matched Pierre Gasly across the 2022 season, before dispatching of Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo in the following campaigns.
The 24-year-old is also far more consistent than in previous years, avoiding the unforced errors that characterised his rookie campaign.
Because of this, there have been suggestions among the media and fans that Tsunoda should have been considered for a Red Bull promotion. After all, Sergio Perez’s struggles mean Red Bull would lose little from giving the Japanese driver an opportunity.
However, it is now well-established that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner have different opinions on his potential.
Marko is far more confident in Tsunoda’s abilities than Horner, who typically overlooks the 24-year-old as a candidate to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Tsunoda’s long-term prospects at Red Bull unclear
In a recent interview, Marko reiterated that Yuki Tsunoda should not be discounted as a contender for promotion. He explained that the Milton Keynes squad will look internally – rather than elsewhere on the grid – for drivers.
“Now we are focusing on our juniors,” he told formel1.de. “We see this with Colapinto, for example.
“He was relatively inexperienced and not very successful in junior series – although it has to be said he never had the best teams. But what an incredible performance he is putting in now.
“And now let’s see what our juniors – or even a Yuki Tsunoda can do. He can also be described as a junior.
“But as a I mentioned earlier, how does he [Tsunoda] compare to Lawson?”
Over the course of 2024, it has become increasingly clear that Marko’s influence in Red Bull’s decision-making has declined.
The 81-year-old, for example, wanted to replace Daniel Ricciardo far earlier in the season – only for Christian Horner to delay his eventual swap with Liam Lawson.
It is plausible that Tsunoda delivers strong performances relative to Lawson in the upcoming months.
However, as was the case against De Vries and Ricciardo, it is possible that Tsunoda’s results will do little to convince Horner he deserves a promotion.
