Helmut Marko is pleased with how Yuki Tsunoda is developing in Formula 1, using the 22-year-old as evidence that AlphaTauri is still a highly valuable asset to Red Bull.
The Italians squad took a quite significant nose dive with this generation of cars, going from a competitive midfield team to near the back of the field.
Despite a series of important updates that have improved the AT04’s overall performance, AlphaTauri still finds itself last in the standings with a total of just two points.
Alex Albon’s fantastic weekend in Australia punished the Faenza squad for its near-misses in Monaco and Spain, where Yuki Tsunoda’s strong pace was not rewarded with points.
18.06.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 9, Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, Canada, Race Day.
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Nyck de Vries’ uninspiring F1 career so far has been another issue for AlphaTauri, especially given how highly Helmut Marko praised the Dutchman going into 2023.
Regardless, the senior Red Bull advisor is convinced of the team’s value:
“We are not satisfied with AlphaTauri’s current performance, and they themselves aren’t either,” f1-insider quotes him as saying.
“But their main task is still to train our young talents, so they can take the next step.
“That worked well in the past, and Yuki Tsunoda is a current example that shows this still works today – even despite the low points.
“We hope that AlphaTauri can improve this year.”
The last few seasons have been relatively barren for the Red Bull junior programme, with Yuki Tsunoda representing the most promising talent in their ranks.
Pierre Gasly’s departure demonstrated Red Bull’s lack of confidence in its young drivers, as a driver outside the academy – Nyck de Vries – was given the opportunity to race in F1.
Looking ahead to 2024, there seems a reasonable chance that Yuki Tsunoda will have a new teammate alongside him next season.
Liam Lawson has been impressive in SuperFormula, and Nyck de Vries is doing little to prove he is worth denying younger drivers the chance of a contract with AlphaTauri.
In any case, the next few months should provide more clarity on how Helmut Marko will decide re-shuffle the academy.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
