Marko: “It is impossible to beat Max for now”

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has witnessed a constant change of teammates since he began racing for the team in Formula 1 in 2016. This was largely due to his teammates struggling to keep up with the Dutch driver's level, and the team subsequently made a driver change.

After Sergio Perez was dismissed from the team last season due to poor performance, Red Bull opted for Liam Lawson to fill the vacant seat. However, the New Zealander's tenure at the team was perhaps one of the shortest yet, as Lawson returned to the Racing Bulls for the Japanese Grand Prix, replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.

However, Yuki Tsunoda is also having a hard time adapting to RB21.

Helmut Marko, who manages this vicious cycle and oversees the Milton Keynes team's young driver program, commented on the matter. Marko believes Max Verstappen's teammates should focus on maximizing their own performance rather than trying to surpass the Dutch driver's success.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

"Whoever is racing alongside Max needs to stop trying to outperform him. They need to get the best they can out of their own performances and the team," Marko told F1 Insider.

“It is impossible to beat Max for now,” he said.

Tsunoda, who has not scored any points in seven races, has fuelled rumours that Red Bull is a one-man team for some time now.

The Japanese driver's contract runs until the end of 2025. However, Red Bull, notorious for quickly replacing its second drivers if they underperform, remains to be seen whether Tsunoda will keep the team until the end of 2025 or continue with the Japanese driver next year. This is because Honda, Tsunoda's major backer at Red Bull, will join forces with Aston Martin in the new era of Formula 1, where the 2026 regulations will be intense.

Marko stated that they are keeping their options open and that Tsunoda's fate at Red Bull will be determined by his performances when he returns from the summer break.

"Traditionally, our pilot evaluation takes place after the summer break. Right now, everything is open. We're examining all performances, both positive and negative," Marko said.