Yuki Tsunoda secured a surprise Formula 1 return at the Dutch Grand Prix after a last-minute phone call in Greece, replacing Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls for the weekend following a wrist injury that forced a major Red Bull driver reshuffle.
The phone call came while Yuki Tsunoda was lounging on a beach in Greece, dividing his time between relaxation and training during the Formula 1 summer break. What began as a leisurely afternoon watching the ocean quickly turned into a frantic cross-continent dash when his managers reached out with unexpected news from the paddock.
Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury, forcing team strategists to reconfigure their line-up. Rather than slotting Tsunoda directly into the senior Red Bull squad, team management opted to draft Liam Lawson into the main team due to the New Zealander’s greater familiarity with the current generation of cars. That decision left an open seat alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls, creating an immediate opening for Tsunoda to return to the grid where he started his career in 2021.
Tsunoda Details the Beach Phone Call and Last-Minute Rush
Speaking to the media in the Zandvoort paddock, Tsunoda recounted how the sequence of events unfolded in less than 48 hours. After receiving word on Tuesday that a race seat might open up, he had to pack his bags and pivot instantly from holiday mode.
“I just suddenly got a call, ‘OK, you have to go to the UK.’ OK, I was in Greece [for] just 24 hours and you already want me to go to the UK? I said, ‘Why?’ – ‘Maybe you might race this week.’ OK, that’s where I’m going [then]!”
Yuki Tsunoda, via Motorsport.com
Despite losing his full-time seat at the end of the 2026 campaign and spending the intervening months acting as a test and reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, Tsunoda insisted his physical conditioning remained sharp. He reported completing four testing sessions in previous Red Bull machinery — covering roughly five race distances — alongside extensive simulator work.
Adapting to the Racing Bulls Car on Short Notice
Stepping back into the Racing Bulls cockpit presents distinct technical hurdles. Tsunoda spent the majority of the year working closely with the senior Red Bull operation, only experiencing the Racing Bulls simulator for the first time during the week leading up to the race.
Nevertheless, he noted that steering wheel layouts and switch configurations carry broad similarities to previous machinery, minimizing potential confusion. With only a single free practice session available before competitive running, the Japanese driver adopted a pragmatic outlook for the weekend.
“I’m not setting any expectations. For now, I just enjoy and just have fun, which I wanted to have for a long time.”
Yuki Tsunoda, via Formula1
What the Return Means for the Grid and the Standings
The return places Tsunoda back into a tightly contested midfield battle. Racing Bulls recently climbed past Alpine to capture fifth place in the constructors’ standings, heightening the urgency for the squad to solidify its standing as the leading team behind the front-runners. Whether the appearance extends beyond the Dutch Grand Prix remains undetermined, as the timeline for Isack Hadjar’s recovery has not been made public.
For Tsunoda, the unexpected weekend offers a vital platform to showcase his capabilities as grid vacancies for the 2027 season dwindle. While long-term control over a permanent seat rests outside his immediate influence, the Japanese driver views the outing as an ideal chance to demonstrate race readiness under pressure.
