'Very unusual': Yuki Tsunoda snubbed by Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko following 'brutal' switch

Yuki Tsunoda looks set to make his Red Bull debut at his home grand prix without having heard from the team's supremo Helmut Marko.

Despite regular contact with Marko throughout his career, Tsunoda told media in Japan it was Red Bull team principal Christian Horner who first called him in the days after the Chinese Grand Prix to prepare for "a change", and then again when the switch was confirmed.

Tsunoda said it had been radio silence from the man who wields most of the power over driver line-ups within the Red Bull setup.

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"The first call I got was from Christian right after China, that I should maybe be prepared for when things are going to change a little bit," Tsunoda said per Autosport.

"Surprisingly, [Marko] didn't call me yet, very unusual. So, I'm not sure if he was busy with other things. I can't wait to see him, how he's going to react to me [moving]. But yeah, it's very unusual.

"From F3 to F1, he was always calling me, but this time he didn't call me. So, I'm sure there's not anything from his side. We have still a good relationship, so let's see how he reacts to that."

Tsunoda revealed he had received text messages from former Red Bull No.2 drivers Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez.

He will make his debut in the senior team after Kiwi Liam Lawson was brutally axed after just two races. He will take Tsunoda's seat at Racing Bulls.

Tsunoda joins a long list of Japanese drivers with varying degrees of success in F1. Making his debut for the team at Suzuka brings with it an added layer of pressure.

What advice has Red Bull team principal Christian Horner given him?

"Be close as much as possible to Max," Tsunoda said, perhaps stating the obvious.

He described as "brutal" not being chosen initially by Red Bull for this season, but looked relaxed taking question about this abrupt promotion.

"I'm not saying I'm confident that I can perform straight away like Max," he added. But he said he was confident he could produce well compared with "other drivers" Red Bull might have chosen.

Lawson also appeared relaxed, smiling as he took questions about his demotion.

"It's something I wasn't expecting," Lawson said. "It's something that obviously is not my decision and for me it's about making the best of it."

Lawson attributed part of doing poorly in his first two races with Red Bull to unfamiliar tracks in Australia and China. He'd been hoping to prove himself in Japan, where he drove last season in F1.

This time it will be with Racing Bulls and not Red Bull.

"(Suzuka) is what I was looking forward to from the start, to be honest – a track that I've been to before and just have a proper sort of preparation. It's a track we all like a drivers."

This is Tsunoda's fifth season in F1, and he needs to deliver points for Red Bull. His best career finish was fourth place in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Bad luck has cost him points finishes in each of the first two races this season, but placed sixth in the Shanghai sprint race to at least open his account.

Red Bull's car this weekend will run with a white livery, a tribute to automaker and engine supplier Honda. Verstappen has won four consecutive titles with Honda power.

This is Red Bull's last season with Honda, moving next year to Ford. Honda will power Aston Martin next season.

This is his best chance, and Tsunoda will have to excel to stay with Red Bull. Not just for this season, but for next.

Only 18 Japanese drivers have taken part in an F1 race. None has ever claimed a victory.

Aguri Suzuki (1990 Japanese Grand Prix), Takuma Sato (2004 US Grand Prix) and Kamui Kobayashi (2012 Japanese Grand Prix) are the only three Japanese drivers to have stood on the podium. All finished third.

Practice for the Japanese Grand Prix begins Friday afternoon. The race starts at 3pm Sunday (AEST).

- With AP