‘I’ve been dying to be in the car’ – Tsunoda details the last-minute call that sparked his F1 return

Yuki Tsunoda 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 opportunity to prove what he can do.

The news broke on Wednesday that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar would be unable to drive due to a wrist injury, so Liam Lawson will step up to the top team whilst he recovers. That leaves an empty seat alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls, which is where Tsunoda comes in.

He lost his full-time seat at the end of last season and switched roles to test and reserve driver for both sister teams – as part of that, he has attended the majority of this season’s races and closely followed how Max Verstappen, Hadjar, Lawson and Lindblad have approached the new regulations.

Although Tsunoda has tried to learn as much as possible on the sidelines, he confirmed that he’s had less than two days to prepare for his comeback and will have to adapt quickly to this generation of cars.

Speaking on media day in Zandvoort, he said: “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.

“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.

“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.”

Racing Bulls recently overtook Alpine for fifth in the standings and are eager to consolidate their position as ‘best of the rest’ over the remaining rounds, setting Tsunoda a high bar to reach.

It’s nevertheless a challenge that he’s ready for, especially as he had years of experience working with the team and sees this weekend as a chance to demonstrate why he deserves a seat, with the Japanese driver making no secret of his desire to find a way back into the sport.

Vacancies on the 2027 grid are disappearing quickly, with many teams opting to retain their current line-ups, but Tsunoda is aware of how quickly situations can change and hopes he can make the most of this initial one-off return.

“It’s definitely a good opportunity,” he continued. “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.”