Why 'furious' Newey may have held back Tsunoda promotion
Updated: 18:41, 02 Apr 2025
12 Comments
Ewan Gale has been a part of GPBlog since 2025, working as a contributing editor. After gaining a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2019, Ewan has built experience working for GPFans, RacingNews365 and Autosport, reporting on-site from a number of grands prix, car launches and team events.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that former technical chief Adrian Newey was part of the reason that Yuki Tsunoda had been overlooked for promotion from the sister Racing Bulls team.
Liam Lawson was preferred to the Japanese driver as Sergio Perez's replacement but after only two races, where the New Zealander failed to score, Red Bull has opted to switch the duo, giving Tsunoda a home debut at Suzuka this weekend.
Newey was not a fan of Tsunoda
When asked why Tsunoda did not start the year at Red Bull, Marko told Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung: “For a long time, Yuki had the image of not performing consistently and making silly mistakes here and there.
"That's what happened last year in Mexico when the decisive phase came for us. With Lawson, the exact opposite was happening. He joined and performed immediately, no matter how great the pressure was. In hindsight, it was not the right decision.”
ADVERTISEMENT
But elaborating, Marko pointed to an incident almost three years ago that hindered Tsunoda's progression.
“In Silverstone [in 2022], Tsunoda drove into Gasly's car," he explained.
"Parts on the track damaged Verstappen's car floor, which cost him the victory at that time. Adrian Newey was furious at that moment. From that moment on, Yuki was like a red flag to him. But now Newey is gone and Yuki has worked hard on himself.
"He came out very strong from the winter break and he delivered two great races, in which the strategic team prevented him from finishing in a better position. Yuki's management has changed, he has simply matured and he has a lot of confidence. I heard that he already expects to finish on the podium in Japan - I am already happy if Max lands on the podium, but hey, let's wait and see what is possible in Japan.”
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Austrian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
Jos Verstappen fires back at Schumacher over 'wrong Information' on Max Mercedes talks
1302 times read
2
Verstappen gets first look at much-discussed Red Bull update
1113 times read
3
Carlos Sainz suggests radical F1 shakeup separating drivers and teams over course of the season
864 times read
4
Peace between the US and Iran brings the F1 finale closer, but this circuit is on standby
653 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 156 | |
2 | FerrariFER | 115 | |
3 | MercedesMER | 106 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 73 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 70 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 55 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 37 | |
9 | AlpineALP | 32 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 28 |
Loading
