Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull AlphaTauri now has a great opportunity to prove Helmut Marko wrong regarding his race pace after qualifying eighth in the Australian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver had a difficult start to the 2024 season, finishing 14th and 15th in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively, prompting criticism from the Austrian over the performances of the 23-year-old and teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Marko, who heads Red Bull’s development plan, firmly hinted that neither driver was currently in the running to replace Sergio Perez if the Mexican left the team in the summer. “There’s a lot at stake for Tsunoda and Ricciardo,” he told Sky Germany.
“Both might be vying for a spot at Red Bull, and one should be far ahead of the other. Ricciardo is behind slightly so far. But, to put it simply, Tsunoda’s qualifying speed is acceptable. However, in the race, both are too sluggish.
“I believe one point could have been earned in each of the first two races. It is really difficult to score points behind the top five [teams], and when you do, you cannot afford to make mistakes. You have to test the decisions in the exact right order.”
On Saturday, however, Tsunoda’s pace proved to be more than ‘fine’, as he outqualified Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. It also gives him with an excellent opportunity to replenish his campaign points account, which had only 17 in 2023.
His performance also caused Marko to eat his words from the previous week. “He made it into the top ten again; it was an incredible performance; he was always there, without mistakes,” added the 80-year-old later.
“I’m hoping we can get into the points now since the speed is there. This was already the case in the first two races. The top five teams are so good that making it into the top ten is a remarkable feat.”
Tsunoda himself didn’t bother to hide his joy, stating himself “definitely happy” following Q3. “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be in P8 – or even Q3 – after seeing Williams and a handful of other teams gain up quite a bit of pace. But I also believe I was able to gain a lot of lap time in a few of places, so I was really pleased, and I give a lot of respect to the team for providing me with such a steady car.”
However, the pressure on Ricciardo remains high following his humiliation at Albert Park. He appeared to have done enough to secure a spot in Q2, but his best lap time was removed, forcing him to quit early.
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