Tsunoda returns to Racing Bulls at Zandvoort to keep 2027 F1 options alive

Yuki Tsunoda returns to the Formula 1 grid this weekend at Zandvoort, stepping into the Racing Bulls car after Isack Hadjar was ruled out with a wrist injury. It is the Japanese driver’s first race start since the end of last season, and he arrives at a sprint weekend having spent months as a reserve driver with no competitive mileage.

Tsunoda lost his Red Bull Racing seat at the close of last year’s campaign, having been unable to match the benchmark set by Max Verstappen. Hadjar took his place at the senior team, leaving Tsunoda to settle for a reserve role while his long-term future remained unresolved.

With a full-time F1 seat for 2027 looking uncertain, Tsunoda has been weighing alternatives. Motorsport.com reported earlier this week that he has held talks with IndyCar outfit Meyer Shank Racing as part of broader contingency planning. The Zandvoort call-up, however, gives him a live audition in front of the paddock.

“Having this and not having this kind of opportunity is a lot different,” Tsunoda told media at the Dutch Grand Prix. “Obviously chatting with teams, it’s always [about trying to] sell myself with talking. But you want to always prove [by] driving, so it’s good.”

Tsunoda was clear that Formula 1 remains his primary ambition, but acknowledged he cannot afford another season on the sidelines if a seat does not materialise.

“My mentality is always in F1. My main goal is to always be driving F1 and have some success,” he said. “But I also don’t want to be staying at the garage for two years. I want to drive as well. So if there’s something potentially happening or I couldn’t find a seat for next year, I have to look for other series.”

He added that he leaves contract negotiations entirely to his management, describing his own role as straightforward: “My job is to just drive fast.”

The circumstances at Zandvoort are far from ideal — a sprint-format weekend compresses the schedule and limits the time available to rebuild rhythm — but Tsunoda framed the challenge as motivation rather than obstacle. Whether the performance he delivers is enough to shift the thinking of teams planning their 2027 line-ups remains to be seen.