Red Bull’s problem child! Helmut Marko revealed that Cunoda is working with a psychologist

Inconsistent performances, frequent accidents, impolite communication with the team on live TV. That was Yuki Cunoda’s first season on AlphaTauri. Itlooked like the Japanese youngster had solved his problems in the new Formula 1 season, but after miserable races in Canada and Great Britain, the situation is completely different.

The twenty-two-year-old has been causing mixed feelings since his first race in the paddock. However, there was no doubt about his talent and he scored his first championship points in Bahrain. His explosiveness, however, had a bad effect on the spectators and especially on the AlphaTauri and Red Bull management.

Much of his conversations with the team used to be censored on television. Cunoda justified his vocabulary by saying that he learned English largely from playing video games, in which vulgarities are common.

Helmut Marko, the head of the Red Bull junior team to which Cunoda belongs, began to take issue with the young driver’s behaviour when it affected his performance on track.

“We have arranged for a psychologist to work with him (Cunoda – ed.) because he is always talking in the corners and it is hampering his performance. He should keep his emotions in check. Thank God Max (Verstappen – ed.) is calm. Not only in this respect Cunoda is a problem child,” said Marko, whose words were quoted by Motorsport.

The AlphaTauri driver has not had a bad start to the season at all. Although he is up to fifteenth place with eleven points, his teammate Pierre Gasly scored only five points more.

Cunod’s first big fiasco came in Montreal. He overestimated the readiness of his tyres when exiting the pits and crashed at the first corner.

He then broke the golden rule of Formula One at Silverstone. He crashed into Gasly in the Village corner, knocking both of his team’s cars out of contention for points.

Cunoda is hoping to improve the situation quickly. For there are other talented young drivers ready to fight for their place in the queen of motorsport.

F1, PlanetF1