Tsunoda on His Unexpected F1 Return: "I Was on the Beach in Greece"

Pulse Sports Team 14:25 - 20 August 2026

Yuki Tsunoda has been called up to race for the Racing Bulls team this weekend, stepping in for Liam Lawson, who in turn moves to Red Bull to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.

The Japanese driver revealed he was on a beach in Greece when he received the call about potentially competing in the Dutch Grand Prix.

Tsunoda was informed on Tuesday about a potential driver rotation within the Red Bull Formula 1 teams. Following Isack Hadjar's injury, Red Bull decided to promote Liam Lawson to his seat at Zandvoort. This left an opening at Racing Bulls, which was offered to Tsunoda. This weekend's race will mark his first appearance since last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

When asked how he learned the news, Tsunoda told the media: "I was with my manager and some friends in Greece. We were spending time together, I was on the beach. I don't want to give the wrong impression that I was just lounging on the beach the whole time!"

"I was still training and everything else. But at the moment I heard the news from my manager, I was on the beach, feeling relaxed and looking at the beautiful sea."

"Suddenly I got a call: 'Okay, you need to go to the UK.' I had only been in Greece for 24 hours, and they already wanted me to leave for the United Kingdom. I asked: 'Why?' 'Oh, you might have to race this week.'"

Since losing his full-time seat at Red Bull at the end of 2025, Tsunoda has been serving as a development driver for the team.

Despite being sidelined for much of the year, Tsunoda insisted he has been training for a potential return and doesn't believe he'll be "rusty."

"Physically and mentally, I'm prepared enough because I've been training almost every day for a long time. I had plenty of time to train because I didn't have much else to do. I did four tests with previous cars (TPC) and completed about five race distances. So I'm in pretty good shape and gained good experience with laps during those tests. Now all I have to do is get used to this car, which I assume will feel quite different, as well as the procedures, starting, and everything else."

"It will be a bit tricky with only one free practice session. But that's why I'm not setting any expectations for now. I just want to enjoy it and have fun, something I've wanted to do for a long time."

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