Helmut Marko did something ‘unusual’ when asked about Yuki Tsunoda’s Las Vegas GP performance

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Yuki Tsunoda might have been offered a final lifeline in his pursuit of a 2026 Formula 1 race seat at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Red Bull are set to decide on their driver line-up after the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, with only Max Verstappen confirmed for next season.

Since being promoted to Red Bull from Racing Bulls at the Japanese Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda’s performances have been under the microscope.

He currently sits 17th in the drivers’ championship, 338 points behind Verstappen with two races remaining.

This has led to speculation that Tsunoda could be dropped at the end of the year, and on the face of it, the Las Vegas Grand Prix was another disappointing weekend for the 25-year-old.

However, team principal Laurent Mekies has delivered his verdict on Tsunoda’s display, and journalist Ronald Vording has shared how Helmut Marko privately reacted to his weekend, which suggests the Japanese driver hasn’t been completely written off by the team.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Helmut Marko’s ‘unusual’ apology to Yuki Tsunoda at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Vording was speaking about Tsunoda on the Autosport podcast, and he explained: “On Yuki, yeah, I’m always at his media sessions, and I don’t see him really being close to Max yet.

“That’s a bit of his issue because at various points of the season, he said, well, I’m making steps with the race pace, and then he was out in Q1.

“So it’s about finding some common ground between the two.

“The only thing I would say in favour of him is that, of course, they messed up his tyre pressures in qualifying and that messed him up big time.

“So, already Yuki himself and then his management were feeding that a bit to the media, like, OK, so this is behind it.

“So, then Red Bull and Laurent Mekies put out a statement, and then everyone basically did pick it up.

“And what was a bit unusual because it doesn’t happen too often. Helmut Marko literally said sorry to him because the chat I had with Helmut Marko in the paddock after the race, of course, was also partly on Yuki.

“And then he said, yes, our mistake shouldn’t happen. So we feel sorry for Yuki.

“Yuki himself is a little bit frustrated by that. He admitted in the pen because these are the weeks he has to show himself and prove himself.”

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know

Yuki Tsunoda must avoid following Sergio Perez’s example at the Qatar Grand Prix

The last Red Bull driver to go into the Qatar Grand Prix, unsure about his future, was Sergio Perez.

Perez had a tumultuous 2024 campaign, and despite Christian Horner offering Perez a new contract halfway through the year, it was clear by the time he reached Qatar that his seat was seriously at risk.

The Mexican driver failed to get out of Q1 for the Sprint Race before starting from the pit lane and starting last.

Perez’s lack of pace confused Red Bull, before he qualified ninth for Sunday’s race.

However, despite looking like he was on course to score points during the Grand Prix, a mistake caused by a suspected clutch issue under the safety car saw him spin out of the race.

Perez was replaced by Liam Lawson a few weeks later, with Tsunoda’s promotion only a few more months away.

Tsunoda has to avoid a similar nightmare weekend in Qatar, otherwise it’ll be him apologising to Marko, and not the other way around.