Helmut Marko warns 23-year-old driver he will ‘learn it all the hard way’ if he wants to improve

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Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has sent a message to Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda and believes he needs to improve his driving style if he wants to progress.

The only team on the grid in 2023 to change any of their drivers was AlphaTauri, with Franz Tost managing four different racers during the season.

As shown on Season 6 of Drive to Survive, Marko and Christian Horner were keeping a close eye on the quartet throughout the campaign.

Helmut Marko urges Tsunoda to improve

It wasn’t an easy final season for AlphaTauri before they rebranded over the winter once again to become RB.

For much of the year, they were at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship after a difficult start for Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries.

While the 23-year-old showed signs of improvement, his less experienced teammate was let go for Daniel Ricciardo in order to try and improve results.

The Australian picked up an important seventh place in Mexico City after returning from a broken hand.

During his time away from the team, rookie Liam Lawson stepped up and did a phenomenal job.

So much so, that after the Japanese Grand Prix, Helmut Marko commented that Tsunoda would have to improve to get the better of other drivers in the situation he found himself in.

After outqualifying Lawson, he fell behind him and spent much of the Grand Prix racing wheel-to-wheel against him.

However, his aggressive approach didn’t work and the young Kiwi earned further praise for his performance.

Tsunoda under pressure with Lawson lurking in the background

At the end of the race, Christian Horner and Marko can be seen walking down the pit lane, reflecting on the race.

Horner says: “Another good race by Liam, huh?” To which Marko replies: “But he is a tough racer. Yuki, will learn it all the hard way.”

Lawson found out later on that he wouldn’t be replacing Tsunoda or Ricciardo heading into 2024.

However, it feels like it’s only a matter of time until he’s handed a full-time race seat.

That means that Tsunoda will need to improve to convince Marko and Horner to give him another chance as he enters the final year of his contract.

He may be able to find an opportunity elsewhere on the grid, particularly with his connections to Honda which Eddie Jordan believes have played a key role in him keeping his seat.

But if he can remain calmer in the car and make some more measured decisions, he shouldn’t have to worry about losing his place on the grid.