Yuki Tsunoda's Zandvoort goals: Have fun and widen 2027 options

Presented with an opportunity to return to F1, the Japanese driver wants to make full use of it - first by enjoying being back on the grid, and second by trying to make enough of an impression to improve his future prospects

Yuki Tsunoda is making a comeback to F1 this weekend after Isack Hadjar's wrist injury offered him an opportunity to take the Racing Bulls seat. While he understands the circumstances will be challenging - with Zandvoort being a sprint weekend on top of him not having raced since the end of last year - he still wants to use this chance to prove himself.

Tsunoda has been out of a race seat since last year's disappointing campaign with Red Bull Racing. Having been unable to deliver alongside Max Verstappen, he lost his place at the team to Hadjar and settled for a reserve driver role.

The prospects of him returning to the grid full-time in 2027 look slim at the moment and therefore, as Motorsport.com reported earlier this week, he has been exploring other options, including IndyCar, where he has held talks with Meyer Shank Racing.

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Yet the unexpected F1 call-up at least gives Tsunoda a chance to impress - and potentially widen his options for next year.

“I mean, it's always good to perform, which I'm aiming for,” he told the media when asked about his goals for the weekend at Zandvoort. “Anyway, I've got to give my 100% performance.

“And I think, to be honest, having this and not having this kind of opportunity is a lot different. Because, you know, obviously chatting with teams, it's always [about trying to] sell myself with talking. But you want to always prove [by] driving, so it's good.”

Tsunoda insists his personal priority will always be Formula 1 - but while he understands his options are limited, he is open to racing in other championships as he doesn't want to spend another year on the sidelines.

“It's not my job to look at those stuff,” he said about negotiations with teams. “I mean, I completely leave [it] to my manager. And my job is to just drive fast and those stuff.

A fan of Yuki Tsunoda

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

“My mentality is always in F1. My main goal is to always be driving F1 and have some success. That's always there, no matter what.

“But, yeah, I also don't want to be staying at the garage for two years. I want to drive as well. So, if there's something potentially happening or I couldn't find a seat for next year [in F1], I mean, I have to look for other series.

“But until the moment I hit the track next year, I'll be always in... My mentality is always in F1.

“It's always difficult place to have a seat here. It's not... I recognise how difficult and how special to be here. So, no matter what any situation, I'm very grateful.

“And if this becomes a trigger for next year, that hopefully I'm driving here, that's something that I'm very happy with and feel lucky. But, yeah, it's always... It's not in my control anyway. So, what I can do is just enjoy and perform.”

Still, given his lack of experience with the 2026 F1 cars, Tsunoda is cautious about setting any goals for the weekend.

“I think having one free practice is going to be tricky,” he said, “but that's why I'm not setting any expectations. For now, I just enjoy and have fun, which I wanted to have for a long time.”