Yuki Tsunoda will return to the VCARB 03 at the 2026 F1 Italian GP, lining up alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls for another weekend as Isack Hadjar continues to recover from a wrist injury. The Japanese driver returned at Zandvoort last weekend for his first full weekend since Abu Dhabi last year, finishing just outside the points in P11.
With Hadjar ruled out for another weekend, Tsunoda received the call-up at short notice, revealing that he was in the middle of a simulator session yesterday when he learned he would have another weekend in the car at Monza.
Speaking in a print media session today, Tsunoda explained: “It was actually yesterday. I was in the sim just in case; I really didn’t know until midday of yesterday, and I heard mid of the session simulator, and ok, I’m going to drive. So I just kept doing the simulator work as I got into race week.”
Tsunoda: Monza will be the “most difficult track” for energy deployment
Having come from Zandvoort, where energy deployment played a less significant role, the Japanese driver now faces the opposite challenge at Monza. He admitted it will be an area he must learn and adapt to throughout the weekend, having only experienced the car on an energy-rich circuit in the simulator.
“Yeah, that’s the thing, I think Netherlands was, fortunately one of the easiest tracks to, I would say, manage the energy, and partly I can say that I am able to adjust the car pretty smoothly,” Tsunoda said.
“But now it’s the most difficult track for that energy deployment, and I already experienced in the simulator how different it is, and it really kicks in the challenges of this regulation.
“So yeah, those management, brake, early or whatever, you know, those things, we have to practice, and in the simulator it feels really weird because I know I can drive faster, but you cannot, because otherwise in total lap time you’re a bit slow so that would be the biggest challenge for me.”
Energy deployment during the race will present a new challenge
Ahead of the 2026 F1 Italian GP, Tsunoda joined several drivers in voicing concerns over the challenges of energy deployment around the 5.793km circuit, with its long straights placing greater demands on energy management.
The Racing Bulls driver expects energy management to pose an even greater challenge in race conditions, particularly when battling other cars and deciding when to deploy energy to attack or defend. With his experience so limited in the current generation of cars, Tsunoda acknowledged it is one of his biggest areas of focus heading into Sunday’s race.
“I think it will be more challenging in the race conditions, because this kind of strategic, I would say, battle with the energy management, with other cars, I didn’t do that, and probably the other cars know what the car is going to do, after they use the battery to overtake or defend or something.
“I only know from the simulator, and the Netherlands was probably the least powerful, and even you use only one straight, so you’re going to recharge anyway, before the main straight, so that would be probably the biggest challenge that I’m thinking in the race condition.”
He added: “In the short run, I would say I’m not that worried as much, because you have free practice anyway, so you know what kind of things. You can only focus on yourself, but in the race condition anything have to be proactive right? So, yeah, that’s the only thing that I have to be more prepared for, for sure, than the Netherlands.”
