Red Bull Racing (RBR) faces a delightful dilemma as they consider their driver line-up for the 2025 Formula 1 season. With Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo currently occupying the seats, the team has three excellent candidates vying for just two spots. However, Red Bull’s talent pool extends beyond the obvious choices.
In conversation with Motorsport Nederlands, Helmut Marko was asked about who could be Tsunoda's team-mate next season, to which, he said: "It's a luxury problem!"
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Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese sensation, has already made waves in F1. Helmut Marko, head of Red Bull’s driver development program, has earmarked Tsunoda as a potential teammate for Max Verstappen. His aggressive driving style and impressive performances have caught the attention of fans and team management alike. However, Marko expects Tsunoda to continue proving himself to secure a permanent seat.
Helmut Marko on Red Bull’s “Kangaroo Effect”: Sim vs. Reality
Red Bull Racing has faced a peculiar challenge during the 2024 Formula 1 season: their car behaves like a kangaroo on certain tracks. Helmut Marko, the team’s motorsport advisor, recently shed light on this issue, which has affected their performance.
The heart of the matter lies in the correlation between Red Bull’s simulator and real-world performance. In the simulator, the RB20 glides smoothly over kerbs without any hiccups. However, when the team transitions to the actual track, the car’s behavior becomes unpredictable. It bounces around like a kangaroo, disrupting the driver’s rhythm and compromising lap times.
The Monaco Grand Prix highlighted this discrepancy. Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver, struggled with the car’s handling. The bumpiness of the Monte Carlo circuit exposed the RB20’s weaknesses, especially its kerb-riding ability. Verstappen qualified and finished in sixth place, far from his usual dominant form.
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