One midfield driver operated at the same level as Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix. That’s according to a high-ranking figure at Verstappen’s Red Bull team, writing in a column for Speedweek.
The Dutchman, who retired from the previous race in Australia with a brake issue, issued an emphatic response at the front of the field in Suzuka. He took pole ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, and then won the race by more than 12 seconds.
Despite that DNF in Melbourne, the 26-year-old now leads the championship by 13 points as he looks for a fourth straight drivers’ title. His dominant victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia suggest he may well do so at a canter.
Damon Hill marvelled at the ‘amazing’ Verstappen as he watched him take pole, while Anthony Davidson called his driving ‘fantastic’. As such, it’s the ultimate compliment to be compared to the 57-time race winner right now.
Helmut Marko showers driver with Max Verstappen compliment
Writing for Speedweek, Helmut Marko said RB driver Yuki Tsunoda had performed ‘sensationally’ in front of his home fans. Tsunoda scored points at Suzuka for the first time in his career as he finished 10th.
The Austrian raved about his ‘flawless’ showing under the pressure of the crowd’s expectations, and was particularly thrilled with his overtaking. He says he put together a weekend to rival Verstappen and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who finished sixth for Aston Martin.
Meanwhile, teammate Daniel Ricciardo crashed out on the opening lap after tangling with Alex Albon in the Williams. While Marko has sympathy for the Australian, he still feels he could have driven differently.
He wrote: “The reason for the Racing Bulls’ bad start was the hard tyres. Ricciardo was over-cautious in the first corner and was overtaken on the left and right. Then there was this racing accident, which can easily happen at the beginning.
“At the second start, Yuki did sensationally well. His overtaking manoeuvres were the show of the day. The fans were completely over the moon. His weekend was at the level of Max, Alonso and Co. Flawless, a great performance under the pressure of his home race.”
Will Yuki Tsunoda join Aston Martin?
Ordinarily, if a driver at the Red Bull junior team was driving as well as Tsunoda, they would be in contention for a promotion. But the current feeling is that the 23-year-old isn’t in the frame to race alongside Verstappen.
Tsunoda has likened himself to a ‘Monsters Inc’ character in admitting he sometimes loses his temper behind the wheel. While he says he’s working to iron this out, Red Bull may regard it as a ‘fundamental flaw’.
What’s more, Perez has delivered a solid start to the season with three runner-up finishes in four races. He finished a disappointing fifth in Australia with no Verstappen but this was partly due to an aerodynamic issue.
Still, even if Tsunoda doesn’t receive an offer from Christian Horner, he may still attract interest from other teams. Significantly, he’s in the final year of his contract with RB.
One team who may express an interest is Aston Martin, who will link up with Japanese engine supplier Honda from 2026. Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde thinks there’s a ‘very good chance’ the £15k-a-week racer (Spotrac) will join the British team at some point.
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