Yuki Tsunoda has finally got the opportunity he has been waiting for. The Japanese driver will return to Formula 1 action in 2026, filling the Racing Bulls seat at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort this weekend. The confirmation came after Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury, triggering a major reshuffle in Red Bull's driver lineup.
Hadjar, who was originally set to race for Racing Bulls, has been temporarily promoted to the main Red Bull team to replace Liam Lawson. Lawson himself has been called up to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. As a result, the vacant seat at Racing Bulls now belongs to Tsunoda, who had to give up his full-time racing seat at the end of 2025 after being replaced by Hadjar.
Speaking during media day at Zandvoort, Tsunoda did not hide his excitement. After spending the first half of the season as a reserve driver, he admitted he was eager to get back into the cockpit. "Since the season started, I've been dying to be in the car and compete with the drivers," he said. "I will enjoy this moment and give my 100 percent performance. Hopefully that will bring some good results."
The opportunity came out of nowhere. Tsunoda revealed he was on holiday in Greece when he heard the news. "I was having a nice time lying on the beach, then on Tuesday I got the call that I might potentially be in the seat this weekend. I was half excited, half doubtful because anything can happen, but I was super excited too," he recounted.
The biggest challenge for Tsunoda is that he has never driven the current generation of F1 machinery. With the sprint format at Zandvoort, he will have only one free practice session before heading into qualifying. Nevertheless, he has completed four Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) sessions, equivalent to five race distances, which has kept him physically prepared.
"All I need to do is get used to this car, which I guess feels quite a lot different. The procedures, how to start, and everything. Having one free practice is going to be tricky, but that's why I'm not setting any expectations. For now, I just enjoy and have fun, which I've wanted to do for a long time," said Tsunoda.
Tsunoda's return is currently confirmed only for Zandvoort, as Red Bull has yet to determine when Hadjar will be ready to race again. Should the Frenchman require more recovery time, it leaves the door open for further appearances by Tsunoda in the coming races.
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