Marko: Tsunoda’s F1 revival? Red Bull simply listened

The Japanese driver struggled for consistency earlier in the 2025 season, often finishing well behind his teammate, but Helmut Marko says the turnaround comes down to a simple change in approach.

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Marko explained: "We sat down after the race in Monza - Tsunoda was sometimes a second slower than Max in the race - and decided on a different approach.

Tsunoda confirmed the effect of those changes after Baku. "I'm happy with it. The team did a fantastic job with the strategy. I think something I was able to improve into this race week, especially long run, was massive."

The driver also acknowledged Red Bull’s support in implementing adjustments he had requested, highlighting a shift in internal dynamics. "Also something internally supported by the team to make changes to the car, which affected a lot in this long run today."

After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari fell back to P3, following a P8-P9 finish led by Lewis Hamilton and a P2-P4 finish for Mercedes who in turned climbed up to P2.

However, with Max Verstappen’s win and Tsunoda’s P6, Red Bull Racing has now placed itself firmly in contention for the runner up spot, with the points-gap separating all three teams standing now at 18 total.

Mercedes CEO and Team Principal is also wary of Red Bull’s threat looming near, particularly with Verstappen ‘the point machine’ scoring 68 points for the Austrians in the past three Grands Prix.

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