Yuki Tsunoda expresses his gratitude for the ongoing support from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. Despite the Japanese driver’s limited World Championship points this season for the Austrians, the 82-year-old advisor saw a positive trend at Silverstone in the performance of Red Bull’s newest driver. Tsunoda appreciates the assistance from the ‘direct’ Marko and reveals how the advisor motivates him to improve.
Yuki Tsunoda became Max Verstappen‘s second teammate in 2025, after the Japanese driver replaced Liam Lawson at Red Bull in March. However, Tsunoda has not made a significant impression since then. The Japanese driver has only earned seven World Championship points during his time as a Red Bull driver, compared to the 129 points Verstappen accumulated during the same period. Yet, advisor Helmut Marko continues to have faith in the Japanese driver.
“Yuki Tsunoda has struggled during several Grand Prix weekends, but in England, we already saw an upward trend,” Marko wrote in his Speedweek column. “We have had intensive discussions with him, and he is also working with sports psychologists.” Tsunoda himself is also pleased with the support from the 82-year-old Austrian. “It’s better than him saying, ‘We’re going to replace him in two races,'” Tsunoda tells the media. “He still supports and helps me, and trusts in my talent and speed. So, I just have to prove on the track that I can really do it.”
Pressure
According to Tsunoda, Marko’s ‘direct’ methods even serve as motivation. “Helmut is simply straightforward. If I perform poorly in some races, he immediately tells me what went wrong and what was good,” the Japanese driver explains. “It’s a kind of pressure he puts on me. Sometimes he even motivates me to achieve performances I didn’t think were possible. He has been working this way since I was a junior (at Red Bull), and I greatly appreciate the support I have received from him so far.”
