Fernando Alonso is delighted that Yuki Tsunoda will once again step in for Racing Bulls during the upcoming race weekend in Monza. On Wednesday, Red Bull announced that Liam Lawson will again substitute for the injured Isack Hadjar, allowing Tsunoda to compete for the second Grand Prix in a row with the sister team. Alonso was impressed by the Japanese driver’s first substitute appearance during the Dutch GP and hopes to see him more often on the F1 grid.
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After only one free practice, Tsunoda qualified twelfth for the sprint in Zandvoort. In the sprint race, he dropped one place, after which he again clocked the twelfth time in the regular qualifying. In the race, he gained a position and finished just outside the points. An impressive performance, considering the limited preparation of the 25-year-old driver. It earned him compliments from Alonso, who hopes to see more of Tsunoda next year.
‘Phenomenal’ Yuki Tsunoda
“It was great, a wonderful weekend for him (Tsunoda, ed.),” the Spanish star responded to F1TV. “He only had one free practice, after which he immediately had to prepare for the sprint qualifying. But in the end, he finished just outside the points. He drove a phenomenal race and we definitely miss him on the grid,” Alonso admitted. “He is really a character within the sport, so hopefully we will see him in action more often, also next year,” he concluded with a wink.
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Tsunoda wanted to use his substitute appearance explicitly to get noticed by other teams. He might secure a permanent seat in Formula 1 again next year. Although many racing teams have already finalized their line-ups for 2027, there may still be opportunities at Haas; it is an open secret that Esteban Ocon is on the hot seat. Due to close ties with Toyota, the American team may have interest in a Japanese driver.
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