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Helmut Marko Confirms Red Bull Adjustments to Boost Yuki Tsunoda’s Performance
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has disclosed that the team has begun taking decisive steps to help Yuki Tsunoda improve his performances in Formula 1. Since his much-discussed promotion to the senior Red Bull team alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Tsunoda has often struggled to match the benchmark set by his more experienced teammate. However, recent adjustments suggest a turning point may have arrived for the Japanese driver.
For much of the season, Tsunoda’s stint at Red Bull has been plagued by underwhelming results. A series of early qualifying exits and point-less race weekends had raised serious doubts over his long-term place within the team. Yet, at last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Tsunoda delivered what many have described as his most convincing performance since joining the Milton Keynes-based squad.
The breakthrough came after Red Bull chose to heed Tsunoda’s feedback more carefully and adjust the RB21 to his driving style. Marko explained that the team shifted focus to tailoring the car to suit his needs, with the aim of providing him with a more stable and predictable platform on track.
“You have to give him comparisons, such as: what does Max do in that corner, where does he brake, with how much force, that kind of thing,” Marko revealed when discussing how the team has been working with Tsunoda. “In addition, we have tailored the car more to his wishes, so that it doesn’t react so critically.”
This level of personalisation marked a significant change in Red Bull’s approach. Traditionally, the car has been designed around Verstappen’s preferences, given his status as the team’s lead driver and championship contender. For Tsunoda, adapting to such a setup proved difficult, as the RB21’s sharp and sometimes unpredictable handling exposed the limits of his confidence behind the wheel. The latest adjustments, however, appear to have given him renewed momentum.
His strong display in Baku arrived at a crucial moment in his career. At 25 years old, Tsunoda faces immense pressure to prove that he belongs not only at Red Bull but in Formula 1 altogether. With just seven races remaining in the current season, every performance carries extra weight as decisions about driver line-ups for 2026 loom large.
Adding to the challenge is the growing competition from within the Red Bull stable. Young talents like Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar have impressed with the Racing Bulls outfit, showing consistency and maturity that could make them prime candidates for future promotion. Their rise has inevitably intensified the scrutiny on Tsunoda, whose path to securing a long-term seat depends heavily on demonstrating both pace and composure in the final stretch of the season.
Red Bull’s willingness to adjust its approach suggests that the team still sees potential in Tsunoda. By analysing Verstappen’s telemetry data and making the RB21 more accommodating to his style, the aim is to narrow the performance gap and allow the Japanese driver to maximise his natural speed.
The move is also strategically important for Red Bull. Ensuring that their second driver can consistently score strong points is critical in the Constructors’ Championship battle, where every finish matters. While Verstappen’s brilliance often secures race victories, the team cannot afford to rely solely on him, especially against increasingly competitive rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
For Tsunoda, the task now is clear: build on the progress from Azerbaijan and convert it into a string of solid results. If he can show that the changes to the car have unlocked his potential, he may silence critics and strengthen his case for staying with the Red Bull programme.
The next few races will ultimately determine whether this new chapter in Tsunoda’s journey leads to a permanent breakthrough or whether Red Bull will look to its younger drivers to fill his seat in the future. Either way, the adjustments have given him a lifeline, and Baku might just prove to be the race that reignited his F1 career.
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