Red Bull star reveals 'unusual' Marko behaviour

Yuki Tsunoda has revealed the 'unusual' behaviour of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, after the Japanese driver was promoted to the main team.

Tsunoda has been a part of the Red Bull F1 family since 2021, racing in four full seasons with sister team Racing Bulls, but has now finally been promoted up to be Max Verstappen's team-mate for the remainder of the 2025 season.

It comes as Liam Lawson, whom Tsunoda beat when the pair were team-mates for periods in both 2023 and 2024, was axed from the position just two races into the season, having initially taken over from Sergio Perez at the end of 2024.

The move took most people in the paddock by surprise, including it seems 81-year-old Marko, who Tsunoda admitted had not called him to congratulate him on his promotion.

"The first call I got was from Christian right after China, that I should maybe be prepared for when things are going to change a little bit," Tsunoda told media ahead of the Japanese GP weekend. "I guess it was Tuesday or something like that.

"Surprisingly, [Marko] didn't call me yet, very unusual. So, I'm not sure if he was busy with other things. I can't wait to see him, how he's going to react to me, but yeah, it's very unusual.

"From F3 to F1, he was always calling me, but this time he didn't call me. So, I'm sure there's not anything from his side, we have still a good relationship, so let's see how he reacts to that."

Tsunoda struggles on debut

Not only did the Japanese GP signify Tsunoda's first race as a Red Bull racer, but it was also his home race.

The RB21 is a tricky car to control, as admitted by Verstappen himself and proven by Lawson's struggles, but Tsunoda has remained positive about his ability to help out the team in their fight in the constructors' championship.

Tsunoda only managed a 12th-place finish at the Japanese GP, however, while his team-mate Verstappen beat the two McLaren drivers to take victory.

Tsunoda's first race with the team also saw him driving a 'white bull', with the team having changed up their livery for a Japanese flag-inspired design to celebrate their partnership with power unit supplier Honda, which will come to an end later this year.

Tsunoda already has more points than predecessor Lawson in the drivers' championship, and managed to finish ahead of the now Racing Bulls star at the Suzuka International Circuit.

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