Yuki Tsunoda could have joined Red Bull Racing earlier if not for Adrian Newey's opposition, according to team advisor Dr Helmut Marko.
Following Liam Lawson's brief and dismal run alongside Max Verstappen in the opening two races of 2025, Red Bull heads to the Japanese Grand Prix with local star Tsunoda stepping into the seat.
It's no secret that four-time world champion Verstappen contested the call to remove Lawson. "He disagreed because he kept saying the car was just so difficult to drive," Marko told Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "That's his opinion, and that's a good thing.
"But you can't become world champion as a one-man team."
Marko now acknowledges that elevating Lawson over Tsunoda was an error, pinpointing a key moment from last year's Mexican Grand Prix as the turning point. "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," he disclosed.
"Adrian Newey was furious at the time.
"From that point on, Yuki was a red rag to him. But now Newey is gone, and Yuki has worked hard on himself. He has changed management and simply grown up. I heard him say he's already expecting a podium finish in Japan, but I'd be happy if Max made it onto the podium.
"But hey, let's wait and see," added Marko.
Looking ahead, Marko stressed that Red Bull requires not only a stronger second driver but also a faster 2025 car. "We need to quickly deliver updates that actually work," he said. "They come in batches, of course, and if something doesn't work, we have to fix it.
"But to win the fifth world championship, these improvements definitely have to happen in the next five races. Otherwise it will be too late."
