Marko on choosing 2nd Red Bull driver: 'Tsunoda is the fastest' but 'Lawson is the strongest mentally'

The choice of Red Bull to start Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 raised some questions in the industry. Formula 1. Did the Austrian team take too big a risk by promoting the young New Zealander, who has only 11 Grands Prix under his belt, against the uncompromising four-time Dutch world champion? And above all, why did Red Bull not choose Yuki tsunoda, yet more experienced and more efficient, winner of his direct confrontation with his two teammates (Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson) in 2024?

Faced with these questions, Helmut Marko does not hesitate to give sharp answers. The Austrian leader, far from being a fan of wooden language, offered an explanation that was, to say the least, direct. "In terms of speed, Tsunoda is definitely the faster of the two right now, said the advisor and head of the Red Bull young drivers program with the German media Sport. But he doesn't have the necessary consistency, he keeps making mistakes." According to Helmut Marko, Yuki Tsunoda – despite his 87 Grands Prix and four full seasons in F1 – still lacks mental strength, considering that the Japanese “slowed down and lost his calm” when he got angry while driving the Racing Bulls.

Lawson is able to to accept that he will not be able to challenge" Verstappen

Since his Formula 1 debut in 2021, Yuki Tsunoda has acquired a bad reputation as a virulent driver when he is behind the wheel of his car, with quite explicit and sometimes insulting statements on his radio. In 2024, the protégé of the Honda clan was notably fined €40 for using offensive remarks about other drivers during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.

"His temper tantrums have improved considerably but remain a problem. He loses control, believes the Austrian, who admits that Red Bull does not have full confidence in the behavior of the Japanese driver if he were to climb within the parent team. We think Tsunoda would face significant emotional problems if he realised he couldn't beat Max [Verstappen], or even get close to him, and that things weren't going the way he had imagined.". Yuki Tsunoda has therefore not offered all the guarantees necessary to convince Red Bull to make him a starter in 2025.

For Helmut Marko, the decision to start Liam Lawson was therefore based on mental strength and prospects for development rather than on track results. The Austrian manager considers the New Zealander as “the mentally strongest among our junior drivers.” "He has the mental strength to race alongside Verstappen and accept that he won't be able to challenge the Dutchman", assures the 81-year-old former driver. To be sure, we will have to wait until the first Grand Prix of the 2025 season...

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