Helmut Marko has come to the defense of Yuki Tsunoda. A severe crash during the qualifying round for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix set the tone for what would become an extremely disappointing triple header. In the first European triptych, he scored only one World Championship point on behalf of Red Bull. Marko explains that the young Japanese driver partly sabotaged his own races, but also emphasizes that the team consistently struggled with the setup of the RB21.
During the recent Spanish Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda once again left empty-handed. This was largely due to – yet again – a disappointing qualification; the 25-year-old driver recorded the slowest time in Barcelona. Helmut Marko defended this new blunder by stating that Red Bull rarely delivers a competitive car right away. “We must not overlook the fact that our cars are often disastrous on Fridays,” the Austrian declared to the media in Spain.
RB21
“And then we manage to improve them before the qualification – significant adjustments to the setup are needed each time. Max Verstappen adapts immediately, while Tsunoda needs a few laps to gain confidence,” Marko explained. “But if you’re already in the qualification, there’s no time to get used to it. In addition, it must be said that he did not have the same technical specifications in Barcelona – due to his heavy accident in Imola.”
In this regard, Tsunoda’s crash could not have come at a worse time. Due to the damage, the Japanese driver missed several important upgrades during the triple header that Max Verstappen did have on his car. This could possibly explain the difference between the two Red Bull drivers. Helmut Marko confirmed that Tsunoda is losing time due to his ‘outdated’ version of the RB21: “Just in terms of the car, he has to give up two to three tenths.”
