Dr Helmut Marko: Yuki Tsunoda needs ‘more coaching’ after Baku lift

Yuki Tsunoda may have kept his Red Bull career alive after what Laurent Mekies hailed as his “best race” since being promoted.

The Japanese driver finished sixth in Baku, keeping Lando Norris behind to aid Max Verstappen in clawing back in the drivers' standings.

“We sat down after the race in Monza - Tsunoda was at times a second slower than Max – and decided on a different approach,” Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko told Sky Deutschland.

“Simply put, he needs more coaching due to his less experience than Max. We’re now informing him what Max does in certain situations, and we’ve tuned the car more to his liking, so it’s not quite as critical at the limit.”

Tsunoda admitted he had leaned heavily on Verstappen’s example over the past days. “I noticed a few things Max did differently. I immediately implemented those in the simulator and it felt good.

"Applying that on track is another story, but I made progress,” he said. “Of course the quality isn’t at Max’s level, but I took it step by step. All the effort I’ve put in over the past few weeks is paying off. This weekend gives me more confidence for the future.”

In Baku, Tsunoda’s defensive drive was decisive. “It wasn’t easy, I only had the tyres from qualifying and they overheated quickly. I couldn’t risk aggressive moves and lose position, because that would be very damaging to Red Bull as a team,” he said.

His stated aim is now to support Verstappen’s fifth consecutive title push. “The most important thing is to stay ahead of McLaren," said Tsunoda. "We’re not giving up, especially when it comes to Max’s chances. It would be great if I could support him.”

With Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar tipped for promotion in 2026, Tsunoda’s long-term fate remains uncertain. But Mekies made clear after Baku: “He drove his best race here since joining Red Bull.”