Yuki Tsunoda was informed the day before the Dutch GP that he had to travel to Zandvoort soon. The Japanese driver replaced Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, while the New Zealander was allowed to step into the Red Bull car of the injured Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda has now also completed his first race under the 2026 regulations after the sprint race at Zandvoort: “Driving against other cars myself is something I really miss.”
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Yuki Tsunoda was still on vacation in Greece when he got a call asking if he could replace Liam Lawson in Zandvoort. The New Zealander would in turn step into the Red Bull car of Isack Hadjar. Since the Dutch Grand Prix weekend was a sprint weekend, Tsunoda was thrown in at the deep end immediately.
“It feels good,” the Japanese driver responded after the sprint race. Tsunoda finished thirteenth during the shortened session. “So far, I am enjoying every learning process and I am just driving.” It is the first time for the Japanese driver to drive the current generation of cars, but Tsunoda seems to adapt quickly. “Driving against other cars myself is something I really miss. You know, fighting every millisecond,” he continues.
‘Haven’t Sweated This Much Since Abu Dhabi’
Still, physically it was a bit of an adjustment for Tsunoda to get back into a Formula 1 car. “I haven’t sweated this much since Abu Dhabi last year,” said the Japanese driver. “You know, I’m sure it will be even more intense tomorrow, and I really enjoy that. So yes, just super fun.”
Read more Chaos on the way to Zandvoort: fans miss sprint race due to broken train
Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
