Purple Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the latest driver swap that introduced Yuki Tsunoda to Purple Bull Racing and despatched Liam Lawson again to Racing Bulls took into consideration efficiency clauses that would permit Max Verstappen to depart the group.
The transfer is the earliest that Purple Bull has ever modified drivers throughout a season, and Marko mentioned the group’s precedence is profitable the drivers’ championship with Verstappen, acknowledging {that a} failure to safe adequate outcomes may open the door for the Dutchman to depart.
“We now have this large motivation to realize this fifth title,” Marko instructed the BBC. “We additionally know that if we don’t ship for Max, all the highest drivers have efficiency clauses of their contract, so we’ve got to ensure he will get a automobile the place he can win. There was a really constructive assembly final Thursday, Max with the engineers, and so they mentioned the best way to go ahead to enhance the automobile and make it extra drivable and to have a wider vary of drivability, and all that went very constructive.
“It’s simply two races. We’re eight factors behind [Lando Norris] and the entire group is concentrated to realize this fifth title – which we didn’t make with [Sebastian] Vettel, however this time there’s a risk. In case you take a look at the lap occasions from Max on the arduous tire [in China], we have been aggressive — not all over the place just like the McLaren, however we’re not a lot off because it appears typically.”
Verstappen is known to have been supportive of Lawson and was towards a change so early within the season, citing the issue driving the RB21 as central to the New Zealander’s struggles. Nonetheless, Marko mentioned it was clear Tsunoda has extra confidence and expertise to lean on at this stage of the 12 months.
“RB21 is just not the quickest automobile, however however very tough to drive,” he mentioned. “Max can deal with it however not — on this stage — Liam,” Marko mentioned. “We have been apprehensive his self-confidence is so broken that he couldn’t carry his regular efficiency.
“Tsunoda made an enormous step. Now in his fifth 12 months, he’s a a lot stronger character. He modified his administration, he’s much more mature. He has extra confidence and he did do excellent races [in Australia and China], it’s simply the technique didn’t work at Racing Bulls. However on this case with a really tough automobile, expertise is one thing which can assist.
“Alternatively, we’ve got two drivers for the constructors’ championship but additionally to assist Max strategy-wise — if in case you have two drivers high 5 or eight, it’s simpler to max a method that favors the number-one driver.”
Marko mentioned Tsunoda might be given till the tip of the season alongside Verstappen, regardless of the fast choice to switch Lawson.
