Marko blames Tsunoda for Red Bull ‘writing off’ 2025 title

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has admitted the team’s hopes of winning this season’s Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship are effectively over — and believes a lack of performance from Yuki Tsunoda and the Japanese driver’s shortfall of points have played a central role in that outcome.

Tsunoda was promoted from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing just two races into the 2025 season, replacing Liam Lawson.

Despite the 25-year-old’s potential, his lackluster performances, particularly during F1’s recent European triple-header, have left Red Bull languishing in fourth position in the Constructors’ standings, a massive 218 points behind leaders McLaren.

Constructors' Hopes “Written Off”

In his regular column for German website Speedweek, Marko conceded that Red Bull’s title challenge on the team side has collapsed — largely due to insufficient points from the second car.

“In the constructors' championship, we've already written off the overall victory; we no longer have a chance there,” Marko wrote.

“This is, of course, also due to the second driver, because Yuki Tsunoda is only slowly getting going...

“Tsunoda has scored one world championship point in the last three races, and that's obviously not satisfactory.”

Tsunoda’s lone point came from a P10 finish at Imola, where he recovered from a massive crash in qualifying. However, he went scoreless in Monaco and was slowest in qualifying last weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, highlighting his struggles to deliver consistent results.

Tsunoda’s deficit inevitably echoes the challenges faced by Sergio Perez last season, where Red Bull’s reliance on Verstappen’s points alone was insufficient to compete with McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors’ battle.

Imola Crash a Setback, But Not the Root Problem

Marko acknowledged that Tsunoda has been at a technical disadvantage since his heavy crash during qualifying at Imola, which damaged key upgraded components.

“Unfortunately, he destroyed the new underbody and other new parts in the crash at Imola, so he's not currently running the same setup as Max,” the Austrian noted.

“This is also due to time constraints, as a new underbody takes at least three weeks to complete. We're working hard to ensure he has the new parts on the car in Canada, and we expect that to work out.”

However, the 82-year-old stressed that the equipment gap isn’t the main reason behind the disappointing results.

“But that's not the deciding factor. What's serious is that Yuki is often only a tenth of a second behind in free practice, and when it comes to qualifying, the gap widens.

“Then the pressure is on, and he struggles under pressure. In addition, he can't adapt as quickly as Max, who doesn't need a settling-in period.”

• Read also: Verstappen title hopes jeopardized as Red Bull make strategic call

According to Marko, Tsunoda’s tendency to lose pace when the stakes rise has become a clear weakness, as has his slower rate of adaptation to changing track or car conditions — especially compared to Verstappen’s razor-sharp consistency.

Red Bull Committed to Tsunoda – For Now

Despite the criticism, Marko made it clear that the team isn’t preparing to replace Tsunoda this season and will give him the time he needs to settle into the car and improve.

“For Yuki, on the other hand, the car isn't as present yet; he's having more trouble with it, and of course, there's always some adjustment work involved because you try a lot when you're at the back,” he explained.

“He needs more time, and he'll get it. We expect him to be in the car until the end of the season.”

As Red Bull turns its focus toward salvaging the remainder of the campaign, Marko’s words underline the ongoing struggle to find stability and performance from the second seat — a familiar theme from recent years that continues to hinder the team’s ambitions in the constructors’ fight.

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