Yuki Tsunoda had a fresh opportunity to make his case for a Red Bull seat when Daniel Ricciardo lost his RB drive. The decision set up a three-driver shoot-out across the final six races. Liam Lawson, back after a five-race stint alongside Tsunoda when Ricciardo was injured in 2023, looked like the favourite.

And Sergio Perez’s future was arguably in his own hands too – a significant improvement could have seen off the competition. While the least likely of the three, Helmut Marko said Tsunoda was a candidate. Unfortunately, he’s fallen short of his best form in the past couple of races.

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty ImagesThe Japanese driver beat Lawson in the Sprint in the United States, reaching SQ3 while his rival went out in 15th, and then finished five spots higher (11th vs 16th). But Lawson stole the spotlight in the main Grand Prix with a fine drive from 19th on the grid into the points. While Tsunoda had again started in the top 10, he dropped to 14th after a messy race.

His worst moment was a spin – entirely of his own making – in the closing stages. He then logged a DNF at the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend, failing to even reach the first corner. Contact with Alex Albon in the braking zone sent him into the barriers.

Helmut Marko slams Yuki Tsunoda for error that hurt Liam LawsonWriting in a column for Speedweek, Marko shielded Tsunoda from blame for the turn-one incident. It briefly looked as if the 24-year-old was going to surge into the points from 12th on the grid, but he simply ran out of space on the outside. Tsunoda had missed out on Q3 on Saturday after a rather innocuous crash late in Q2.

He lost control of his VCARB 01 heading into the stadium section, sliding side-on into the barriers. Marko was seething over this error because it triggered red flags, denying his teammate a chance to improve in the final seconds. ‘Are you serious?

’, a frustrated Lawson asked on the radio. The Red Bull executive director suspects that Tsunoda is feeling the ‘pressure’ from the newcomer on the opposite of the garage. He hasn’t finished in the points since the Hungarian Grand Prix in July.

“After a very good start, Yuki could have made up five places straight away, but unfortunately it didn’t go well,” Marko wrote. “But you can’t blame him for that. “The spin in the final practice session, on the other hand, was doubly annoying because he not only ruined his own lap, but also Lawson’s.

I think Yuki feels the pressure from Lawson; there is no other explanation for this mistake. ”F1 paddock insider ‘floored’ by what crowd did after Yuki Tsunoda crashUnsurprisingly in light of Marko’s comments, Tsunoda now has ‘no chance’ of a Red Bull seat for 2025, according to the media. Many feel he’s been harshly treated.

Indeed, Damon Hill has defended Tsunoda, who ‘must be wondering’ why he’s been ‘overlooked’ despite outperforming eight-time race-winner Ricciardo. He looks set to stay at RB next year after a 12-month contract extension in June. Tsunoda had a 70% chance of joining Red Bull, or so he claims, after the early races of 2024.

But he’s perhaps suffered a lack from headline results, slipping somewhat under the radar even when he delivers. The Mexican GP crowd applauded Tsunoda on Sunday as his car was recovered after his accident. This warm reception ‘floored’ F1 photographer Kym Illman, watching on from trackside.