Yuki Tsunoda steps in at Racing Bulls, reapplies for F1 contract

Yuki Tsunoda steps in again for Racing Bulls this coming weekend. The Japanese driver will take over the seat from Liam Lawson during the Italian GP, who in turn replaces the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull. This gives Tsunoda a new chance to showcase himself to other F1 teams. There are only a few seats left to be awarded for 2027, but despite this, the test and reserve driver still hopes for a new contract.

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Tsunoda’s return to Zandvoort came as quite a surprise. A few days before the start of the race weekend, he was called to prepare for a sprint weekend in service of Racing Bulls. Despite his limited preparation, Tsunoda made a solid impression. The 25-year-old driver qualified twelfth and finished the race eleventh, just outside the points. Afterwards, Tsunoda was mainly happy to show that he can also handle the current generation of F1 cars.

Applying for an F1 contract

Tsunoda hopes these substitute appearances will help him find a permanent F1 seat for 2027. After the race weekend, he left little doubt about his ambitions. “So now it’s up to my manager and the other teams that have not yet made a decision about the lineup for next year, whether they want me or not,” he openly applied for a spot. “But they definitely should. They definitely should call me.”

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In Monza, Tsunoda will at least get another chance to impress. Most teams have already finalized their line-up for 2027, but Haas may be interested in the services of the Japanese driver. Due to ties with the Japanese automotive giant Toyota, the American team is said to have shown concrete interest in Tsunoda several times.

Read everything about the Italian GP here