Marko moves Tsunoda to Italy over concerns: 'Not a good development'

Whereas Yuki Tsunoda exceeded expectations in Bahrain by scoring points on his Formula 1 debut, his performance at the following Grands Prix was less impressive. Helmut Marko's concerns are now so pronounced that he has had the driver relocated to Italy for personal coaching.

"We have decided to move Yuki to Italy, where he will be under the personal supervision of Franz Tost," the team boss revealed to the interviewer from Formel1.de. "Here he will learn to find concentration and get used to the living and working schedule of a professional athlete. So: lots of training, karting, and technical work in the factory to learn to read the data."

Looking back at Tsunoda's first five races of the season, the Austrian sees a promising start followed by a loss of self-confidence by the driver: "The development has certainly not been positive. His self-confidence took a hit after the multiple incidents, and that's why we decided to bring him to Italy from England," Marko said.

Confidence

"[The move] is not only so we can control him better, but also to instil in him a stronger sense of security", Dr Marko nuanced. "His potential is still there."