Dr Helmut Marko's recent explanation of Red Bull's driver selection decisions has been called into question by key figures within and beyond the team.
Yuki Tsunoda currently occupies the Red Bull seat, a position he secured only after a turbulent sequence of events. Last year, Sergio Perez's contract was extended, only for it to be terminated with a multimillion-pound payout. Liam Lawson stepped in as his replacement at the start of the 2025 season but delivered such lacklustre performances that he was dropped after just two races.
Marko, however, claimed earlier this week that Tsunoda had been Red Bull's preferred choice all along, asserting that Adrian Newey vetoed the Japanese driver's selection during a critical period around the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
"Tsunoda drove into Pierre Gasly's car, and parts of the cars on the track damaged the underbody of Verstappen's car, which cost him the race," Marko recounted. "Adrian Newey was furious at the time. From that point on, Yuki was a red rag to him."
Yet this version of events has been challenged.
Amanda Newey, wife of the former Red Bull technical chief, has cast doubt on Marko's narrative. "How could he (Newey) have had any influence on the lineup?" she remarked. "He was no longer working for Red Bull by then."
Team principal Christian Horner, speaking at Suzuka, echoed this sentiment. "Adrian was certainly not involved in the driver lineup for this year," he stated. "He had no influence on our lineup."
Regardless of the discrepancies, Marko remains satisfied with Tsunoda's current form. "FP1 already confirmed that the driver swap was the right one," the 81-year-old Austrian declared at Suzuka.
Franz Tost, the former Racing Bulls team boss, wholeheartedly supports this view. "I would have chosen Tsunoda from the start," he told ORF. "I have always said that. I made that clear last autumn. Why? Because Yuki is much faster than Lawson. You could give Lawson 100 years, but he would still be slower than Yuki. For me, it would have been a very simple decision. If he can also keep his emotions in check, it will be a very, very good season for Red Bull and Tsunoda."
