Marko hits out at POOR Ricciardo pace compared to team-mate

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko gave a brutal assessment of the race performance of Visa Cash App RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo.

After rebranding from AlphaTauri at the start of 2024, the team had the aspiration of branding away from being just Red Bull’s junior team and being a competitive outfit on the grid.

READ MORE: Ricciardo set to be replaced at Japanese Grand Prix

But so far this season, VCARB have struggled to compete amongst the frontrunners, with neither of their drivers achieving a top ten finish in the opening two races.

Tsunoda has outperformed Ricciardo in qualifying, making an appearance in Q3 in Saudi Arabia, but the disappointment amongst the team when it comes to race pace is clear.

Marko blasts VCARB performance

With both drivers looking to put their name in the running for a potentially vacant Red Bull seat for 2025 with Sergio Perez out of contract, and them themselves being out of a drive at the end of the year, the pressure is on for them to deliver results.

And speaking with Sky Germany before Tsunoda improved to finish seventh place at the Australian Grand Prix, Marko blasted the RB drivers for being ‘too slow’ in races.

“There's a lot at stake for [Tsunoda and Ricciardo], he said. “Both might be hoping for a seat at Red Bull, and one should be well ahead of the other.

"So far Ricciardo is a bit behind. But let's put it this way: Tsunoda's qualifying speed is okay. But in the race, both are too slow."

READ MORE: Australian GP shows Red Bull face a season-long PROBLEM

Marko even went on to claim that points were on the cards for VCARB in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and that he felt that missing out on the top ten should not have happened.

"I think one point would have been possible in each of the first two races," he added.

"It's very difficult to score points behind the top five [teams] and, when you have an opportunity, you can't afford to make mistakes. You have to test the decisions in the absolute right order."

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