Red Bull consultant Dr Helmut Marko believes rookie Isack Hadjar's impressive Formula 1 debut is placing significant pressure on Yuki Tsunoda's position within the team.
Hadjar, racing for Red Bull's junior outfit Racing Bulls, has outperformed his more experienced teammate Liam Lawson, who last year earned a promotion to the main Red Bull team alongside Max Verstappen over Tsunoda.
However, Lawson's stint was short-lived, leading to a swift swap with Tsunoda. Marko acknowledges that the Japanese driver has outperformed Lawson's brief tenure at Red Bull Racing but reserves his highest praise for 20-year-old French-Algerian Hadjar.
"Hadjar is the big surprise for me," Marko told Kronen Zeitung. "He delivers his performance calmly and as if it was second nature. It's even more impressive considering that he does not know most of the circuits."
Marko revealed that Hadjar's form is now threatening Tsunoda's seat, particularly as Tsunoda's key supporter, Honda, prepares to switch to Aston Martin in 2026. "Yuki already feels the heat on his neck," the 82-year-old Austrian stated.
"He loses ground as soon as he is under pressure."
