Yuki Tsunoda Reveals the Last-Minute Phone Call That Sparked His Surprise Return to the F1 Grid

• Yuki Tsunoda will return to the grid at the Dutch Grand Prix, taking over Liam Lawson’s seat at Racing Bulls after Isack Hadjar was ruled out with a wrist injury.
• Tsunoda says he found out he might be racing while on holiday in Greece, describing the news as leaving him “half excited, half still doubtful.”
• The Japanese driver has had less than two days to prepare for his first outing in this year’s car after losing his full-time seat at the end of last season.

Yuki Tsunoda has admitted that waiting in the wings as a reserve driver left him “dying to be in the car,” making his surprise return to the grid at the Dutch Grand Prix a welcome chance to show what he can do.

The news broke on Wednesday that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar would be unable to drive at Zandvoort with a wrist injury, with Liam Lawson stepping up to the senior team while Hadjar recovers. That left an empty seat alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls, and Tsunoda is the man filling it.

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‘I’ve Been Dying to Be in the Car’

Tsunoda lost his full-time seat at the end of last season and switched to a test and reserve role for both Red Bull’s teams. As part of that job he has attended most of this season’s races and watched closely how Max Verstappen, Hadjar, Lawson and Lindblad have handled the sport’s new regulations. He confirmed he has had fewer than two days to prepare for his comeback and will need to adapt quickly to this generation of car.

Speaking on media day in Zandvoort, he described the moment the call came in. “It’s great to be back, obviously. When I heard this news, I was in Greece having a nice mix of training and, at that moment, I was probably lying on the beach having a nice time,” he said. “On Tuesday I think I got the call that potentially I might be in the seat this weekend. When I heard, I was like half excited, half still doubtful because anything can happen, but I was super excited too.”

“It was all confirmed that I’m racing this weekend. I’m super excited and physically I’m feeling ready. I’ve done a couple of TPCs. It will be my first time in this car but still, I’m very excited.”

Tsunoda does not yet know how long the opportunity will last. “As far as I understand, I will be in the seat for now, this weekend, and also I think it depends on Isack’s recovery. I hope that recovery goes pretty fast. I’m not sure about the next Grand Prix but my objective is to have fun. I think I’ve been waiting for a long time. I was watching the screen for the last few months. Since the season started, I’ve been dying to be in the car and compete with the drivers. I think this moment I will just enjoy, and obviously give my 100% performance. Hopefully that will bring some good results.”

How the Seat Opened Up

Hadjar sustained his wrist injury over the summer shutdown, ruling him out of a weekend at a circuit where his Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen races at home. The Frenchman currently sits eighth in the standings and had been on a run of seven straight Grands Prix in the points before the setback.

Red Bull confirmed the change in an official statement: “Hadjar has sustained a wrist injury during summer shutdown that will prevent him from racing at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix. We will be welcoming back Lawson who will replace him in RB22 this weekend. The Team wishes Isack a speedy recovery and thanks Liam for stepping in on short notice.”

Lawson previously had a brief stint at Red Bull for the opening two rounds of 2025 before he was demoted back to the sister team, where he has gone on to become a star of the midfield and sits as the field’s own “best of the rest” in points. Racing Bulls confirmed the reshuffle that brings Tsunoda back into their car for the weekend: “We thank both Liam and Yuki for their adaptability as the teams prepare for the weekend and we wish Isack a speedy recovery.”

Lawson and Tsunoda previously raced together at Red Bull’s sister team, giving Tsunoda a familiar garage to step back into even after months away from a race seat. His most recent full-time race weekend came as a Red Bull driver himself, lining up alongside Verstappen before he was moved into the reserve line-up for this season.

A Chance to Prove He Belongs

Racing Bulls recently overtook Alpine for fifth in the constructors’ standings and are eager to hold that position as “best of the rest” over the remaining rounds, setting Tsunoda a high bar to reach in unfamiliar circumstances. It is nevertheless a challenge he says he is ready for, above all given his years of experience working with the team already.

With most vacancies on the 2027 grid disappearing fast as teams retain their current line-ups, Tsunoda knows how quickly a situation like this can change and is trying to make the most of what could turn out to be a one-off opportunity. “It’s definitely a good opportunity,” he said. “There’s no better time than this. It’s always better to drive and show what I can do, rather than just talk. I know what I can do but it’s always hard to show that or prove that without driving.”

“Thanks to Red Bull and Racing Bulls for allowing me to have that opportunity. I’ll use the race to show something good about myself. Also, the most important thing is to enjoy it. Obviously I would love to have a seat next year, but those things are not in my control and I don’t have to think about them for now. Like I said, I’ve been dying to have this moment and hit the track in the current car so I’m looking forward to it.”

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Written by

Jack Renn

Jack Renn is an editor at F1 Chronicle and a veteran motorsport journalist with 25 years of experience covering Formula 1 and international motorsport. A member of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS), the global body representing accredited sports journalists, Jack has spent his career reporting from paddocks and press rooms across the F1 calendar. His work spans race analysis, technical insight, and in-depth features, giving readers authoritative coverage grounded in decades of firsthand experience at the highest level of the sport.

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