The past week has been a real rollercoaster for Yuki Tsunoda. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer had already been informed the previous Friday of Isack Hadjar’s wrist injury and a potential driver change, but according to Tsunoda, he only received the call on Tuesday – while he was still on a beach in Greece.
The Japanese driver immediately stressed that he was physically fully prepared for the stand-in appearance, although adapting to the 2026 machinery remained an important question mark. Yes, Tsunoda has extensively tested the Red Bull car – not the Racing Bulls – in the simulator this year, but the real thing is still different.
