Marko: 'Crucial season for De Vries if he wants to stay in F1'

In an interview with Kleine Zeitung Helmut Marko talked about his drivers at Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. The 79-year-old advisor to the Austrian racing stable stated that the men must continue to deliver if they want to stay in the pinnacle of motorsport.

AlphaTauri drivers need to perform

Tsunoda is entering his third season at AlphaTauri. His debut year was nothing to write home about and although he was increasingly faster than former teammate Pierre Gasly last year, he did not make a convincing impression. The Japanese driver's luck may have been that there was no one within the Red Bull squad ready to replace him.

When asked if Tsunoda needs to prove himself in 2023, Marko replied, "Yes, he needs to. But the same goes for Nyck. It is his first season, but he has gained a lot of experience in other series and was a test driver. It is a crucial season for both of them if they want to stay in Formula 1." Tsunoda has a contract until the end of the season, of De Vries we do not know until when his commitment runs.

Perez at Red Bull

In any case, Perez is also fixed until 2024. Still, the Mexican has to keep performing if he wants to secure a spot next to Max Verstappen. The Milton Keynes-based formation not only wants two world championships, P1 and P2 in the drivers' championship is also a goal.

"We haven't achieved that goal yet. Checo has matured and you have to give him credit for not being driven around the ears in two years alongside Max. He knows exactly where he stands and what he has to do to look his best," Marko said, closing by saying that a win in Bahrain this weekend does not necessarily foreshadow the rest of the season. Bahrain is, after all, a very unique circuit.