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Marko wants improvement: 'Feedback like 'bloody f***ing car' doesn't help'

Marko wants improvement: 'Feedback like 'bloody f***ing car' doesn't help'

19-08-2022 12:58 Last update: 14:21
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GPblog.com

With Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri has a colourful driver on its hands. The young Japanese driver does not mince words, but is also known for his unstable performance. Still, there is potential, and for now his bosses are backing him. Helmut Marko explains why he holds Tsunoda in high regard.

Tsunoda's outbursts of anger are infamous, but they may not always be good for his performance. To help him stay calm during races, Red Bull Racing has provided him with a sports psychologist. This is not the team's first major investment in the driver: in his debut year Tsunoda was moved to Italy, near the AlphaTauri factory, where a strict daily schedule was imposed on him.

Marko stresses that Tsunoda is not the only driver to use a sports psychologist and says the driver is simply very emotional, which the Red Bull advisor says is an exception for a Japanese driver. Nevertheless, Tsunoda's outbursts sometimes go too far, as the Austrian admits in conversation with Motorsport-Total.com.

Marko: 'Yuki has a certain cult status'

"Swearing and cursing in the middle of a corner is not good. It slows you down," says Marko. Tsunoda should learn to turn that off and keep his focus. "Also, the engineer can't do anything with feedback like 'bloody f***ing car'." So there is also room for improvement in the Japanese driver, who, according to Marko, needs to learn to analyse the problem and state objectively what he is experiencing.

Tsunoda's results may be erratic but it is no reason for Marko to withdraw confidence in the Honda protégé. Marko is convinced he has what it takes to win races, but that requires the necessary personal development. At the same time, the Red Bull chief recognises that Tsunoda's uninhibited nature is what endears him to his fans. "Yuki has a certain cult status," says Marko.