Yuki Tsunoda returned to F1 at the 2026 Dutch GP as a replacement for Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, with Lawson stepping in for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull for the weekend. Tsunoda arrived at Zandvoort having driven the just four times in the eight months since Abu Dhabi 2025.
Despite the circumstances, Tsunoda impressed across the weekend. He finished 11th in the race, came 13th in the Sprint, and narrowly missed Q2 in Qualifying by just 0.102 seconds as he kept Arvid Lindblad honest.
Speaking after the race, he reflected in the print media pen on what had been a more encouraging weekend than he had expected.
Tsunoda on adapting to the 2026 car at the Dutch GP
Yuki Tsunoda arrived at Zandvoort with limited preparation, relying on Red Bull’s simulator to stay sharp during his time away from the grid. The 2026 regulations brought an entirely new set of challenges, from deployment management to tyre behaviour, and he acknowledged that the adaptation process was steep.
“Yeah, honestly I think I was able to progress faster than I expected. I drove only four times out of eight months since last Abu Dhabi. So, with that, I did pretty well,” Tsunoda stated.
“Thanks to Red Bull, they kept me pretty sharp with the simulator and those things. Certainly, I definitely enjoyed it overall. I think I gave it 100% as much as I can with the current stage. I think I did pretty okay.”
Asked what the most difficult aspects of the 2026 F1 Dutch GP weekend had been, Tsunoda pointed to the scale of the changes across the board.
Having run in 10th, he got overtaken by Pierre Gasly in the final stint and fell to P11. The Japanese driver had pulled off a great move on his good friend earlier in the race when they were in a big fight with Hülkenberg and Lindblad as well.
“I think the challenging part was pretty much everything. There were a lot of things, learning about deployment, buttons, everything. Everything proceeded differently.
“This race was challenging for degradation. Degradation’s characteristic was also a lot different.
“Honestly, the team supported me a lot. They made me to drive easy as fast as possible. Overall, it’s a shame that I didn’t score points, but I’ll take it. I’ll fight against top 8 and top 9 until the last few laps.”
Tsunoda on what his return means for his F1 future
With the 2027 driver market beginning to take shape, Tsunoda knew the 2026 Dutch GP was more than just a one-off return. He used the weekend to remind teams of his ability, and felt the performance spoke for itself.
“I know what I can do. I think I pretty also showed what I can do to most of the paddock. With just one race, a couple of sessions, I was able to fight against top 10 and close the points. Honestly, I think the outcome was better with scoring points. But, I think I did as much as I can for now,” he stated.
Asked whether the 2026 Dutch GP weekend had strengthened his case for a return to F1 in 2027, Tsunoda was direct about where the decision now lies.
“It’s definitely better having this opportunity rather than not having any opportunity, not able to show what I can do with this regulation. I think this was overall positive.
“I think what performance I showed is positive. It’s up to also my manager and also other teams who haven’t decided yet about next year’s line-up. If they want to have me or not. But they should,” Tsunoda concluded.
