How Helmut Marko’s latest Yuki Tsunoda comments compare to Sergio Perez criticism before Red Bull exit

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Over the years, Helmut Marko’s influence has ebbed and flowed at Red Bull Racing as the team’s chief advisor.

However, after Christian Horner’s exit, the team’s leadership group is headed up by Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko.

Marko is notoriously difficult to impress, although the veteran Austrian has his favourites.

Max Verstappen owes much of his success to Marko after he offered him a seat at Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old, something long-term admirer Toto Wolff couldn’t do at Mercedes.

Marko has promised Verstappen can walk from F1 next year if the regulations aren’t to his liking, but most Red Bull drivers don’t get a choice on when they leave the team.

Liam Lawson was demoted after two races this season, and Sergio Perez was moved at the end of last season.

Now, Yuki Tsunoda is the man in the hot seat alongside Verstappen, but he’s having a tough time after another pointless finish at the Italian Grand Prix.

Tsunoda’s Red Bull seat is under serious pressure, and Marko’s latest comments from Monza sound ominously similar to what Perez was being told towards the end of last year.

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

Helmut Marko critical of ‘incredibly stupid’ Yuki Tsunoda moment at the Italian Grand Prix

Marko was asked about Tsunoda after the Italian Grand Prix on Sky Germany’s F1 broadcast.

Red Bull’s chief advisor admitted Tsunoda’s car “seemed to be more severely damaged” after his collision with Liam Lawson

However, that didn’t excuse the 25-year-old in Marko’s eyes, and he said: “The collision with Lawson from our own team was incredibly stupid.

“That seems to have caused more damage to the car.”

Tsunoda was furious with Lawson in an unheard radio message, as he finished 13th at Monza, having managed to sneak into the top 10 shootout in qualifying.

Former F1 driver Timo Glock followed up Marko’s comments on Tsunoda on Sky Germany and was far from impressed, stating: “If his teammate almost laps him, he should have finished in the points with this car and didn’t.

“Where’s the risk? You could put someone else in the car, but the question is: Who wants that?”

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

What Helmut Marko said about Sergio Perez before his Red Bull sacking

Marko spoke about Perez after last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, and following another disappointing outing, he said: “Sergio had the opportunity to achieve a good result from second place.

“Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“He completely collapsed, especially in the last stint, when he set 1:48 times.

“What looked so positive in qualifying unfortunately didn’t materialise in the race.”

Perez started on the front row at Spa last year, but eventually finished eighth, although he was promoted to P7 after George Russell’s disqualification.

However, it highlighted the difference between the Mexican driver and Verstappen, which is evident again this year with Tsunoda failing to close the gap to his teammate.

He was then asked whether he would continue with Perez, and continued: “Our situation is such that we will also go through the overall situation for 2025. We have a number of drivers, and we have a concept.”

“But of course, every result [is important] for Sergio, and eighth place from second on the grid is certainly not what we expected.”

Tsunoda needs to rapidly improve to retain his seat, especially as Red Bull frontrunner Isack Hadjar finished P10 after starting Sunday’s race from the pit lane.

There are suggestions that Hadjar has already been told he’ll be racing for Red Bull in 2026, but until anything is officially confirmed, Tsunoda needs to do everything possible to change Marko’s mind.