Helmut Marko tells Yuki Tsunoda what he must do to terrible form at Red Bull

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 teammates should focus on maximising their own performances rather than trying to beat the Dutchman.

Four-time world champion Verstappen has earned a reputation of a “teammate killer” in F1, with several drivers struggling to match his level and eventually being dropped by Red Bull.

This year, Liam Lawson was demoted from the Milton Keynes squad after just two race weekends due to a lack of results, while his replacement Yuki Tsunoda has also found the going tough in the RB21.

Red Bull advice to Yuki Tsunoda

Marko, who is responsible for the team’s young driver programme, has one piece of advice that he believes will be useful for any driver who steps into the second Red Bull seat.

“Anyone who rides alongside Max has to stop trying to beat him,” he told F1-Insider. “They should get the best out of themselves and the team. Beating Max is currently impossible.”

Tsunoda has now gone seven races without scoring a point, leading to remarks that Red Bull is now effectively a one-driver team.

He is contracted to the squad until the end of 2025, but there are question marks over whether he would be retained next year, particularly with Tsunoda’s backer Honda splitting with Red Bull and joining forces with the rival Aston Martin team under the new regulations.

Marko said Red Bull is keeping its options open and that Tsunoda’s fate will depend on how he performs in the latter half of the season.

“Our driver evaluation traditionally takes place after the summer break,” he said. “At the moment, everything is open. We're looking at performances – both positive and negative.”