Marko: Red Bull requires a 'stable' partner for Verstappen.

      "The jury is still out on how long Yuki Tsunoda will last in his role alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. When a position became available following Sergio Perez’s departure at the end of last season, the team chose the considerably less experienced Liam Lawson over Tsunoda, who had a disappointing performance and was dropped after just two races.

      With Honda, Tsunoda’s main sponsor, leaving for Aston Martin at the season's end, Red Bull's real alternative is Tsunoda. Although signs indicate that the 25-year-old is performing better than Perez or Lawson, there are also clear indications that Red Bull cannot compete for future Constructors’ Championships without a faster driver.

      When questioned about Tsunoda’s challenges, technical director Pierre Wache stated: "We didn’t find success with Checo, we didn’t find success with Liam. We're still working with Yuki." Team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko mentioned, "We need a consistent driver who follows his own path and doesn't attempt to outpace Max. Everyone else makes that mistake."

      Marko acknowledged his admiration for Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg after his P5 finish in Barcelona, saying, "When we signed Perez, Hulkenberg was also in the mix. But then Perez won in Bahrain."

      Both Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and Marko have praised current championship leader Oscar Piastri, but the Australian remains under contract with McLaren. "Oscar learns very quickly and is naturally a good analyst, but he’s not at Max’s level yet," Marko remarked.

      "Tsunoda often finishes just a tenth behind in practice, yet in qualifying, Max outpaces him significantly. We usually manage to set up the car well for qualifying, and Max adapts right away. Yuki needs to complete more laps, but there aren't enough. We must also acknowledge that our cars often perform poorly on Fridays."

      Some speculate that Red Bull’s latest rookie Isack Hadjar might be promoted from Racing Bulls to the main team soon. When asked about this in Barcelona, Horner showed discomfort. "I think I’ll take a page from Flavio (Briatore)’s book and say I don’t want to comment," he responded with a smile.

      "Look, it’s still early for Yuki. He’s still adjusting. He’s made it to Q3, earned points, and even scored points from the pit lane. He’s faced some incidents too, meaning he still has a long journey ahead. We have ample time to consider our options."