After the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull made the choice to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. It was only Lawson's second race with the main team, but the underperformance was clear as he finished last in both Shanghai qualifying sessions.

While the move may lead to more questions during the season, especially with Red Bull's history of promoting and demoting drivers anytime throughout the year, Helmut Marko made a clear point when speaking to Formel1.de.

He was asked if Isack Hadjar, who has made a strong start in F1 with the Racing Bulls, might take over if Yuki Tsunoda didn’t perform. Marko responded simply: “Yuki Tsunoda will finish the season.”

This statement comes only a few months after Red Bull decided not to promote Tsunoda. According to Marko, the team has now changed its mind because Tsunoda has shown better focus and stronger performances, especially in Melbourne and Shanghai, even though results didn’t always show it because of strategy problems.

“Yuki Tsunoda is a fast driver, we know that, but he’s had his ups and downs,” Marko explained.

“That’s why we thought Lawson was the better and stronger candidate. But Yuki has undergone a transformation. He changed his management, and in this situation, this was simply the best option.”

He also pointed out that even though Lawson had experience at Suzuka, he didn’t perform as expected. In contrast, Hadjar was quick straight away in China, even though it was a new track for him. Marko said: “So it was a downward spiral that we needed to break in order to give Lawson a future in his career.”

He added that Tsunoda now looks more confident and steady than before. “Yuki has had ups and downs – I remember the two crashes in Mexico, for example. He simply wasn’t as stable as he is now. Yuki is in his fifth year. And experience in such difficult conditions is an enormous factor. Yuki has repeatedly emphasised that he’s actually the right man for Red Bull Racing.”

To help make the final decision, Tsunoda was given “two or three simulator sessions” after Shanghai. That’s when he proved himself. “We had to act quickly,” Marko said.

“And everything was positive. Also the technical feedback, which he had often been accused of lacking, that he didn’t understand the technical side or couldn’t set up a car – that also turned out to be incorrect.”

Although some fans and media speculated Honda might have pushed even more for Tsunoda’s promotion because the next race is in Japan, Marko denied that.

“The fact that Japan happens to be the next race is just a coincidence,” he said. “And of course, Honda is happy with the decision – that’s clear. But that wasn’t the decisive factor.Honda’s involvement ends at the end of this year anyway.”