Yuki Tsunoda shares insight into unexpected F1 return: 'I was on the beach'

Yuki Tsunoda has stated he was “on the beach” in Greece when he was told he may be needed to race at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Tsunoda was informed on Tuesday earlier this week of a potential rotation within the Red Bull seats on the F1 grid.

With Isack Hadjar suffering an injury and ruled out of the event, Red Bull opted to promote Liam Lawson to the seat in his place at Zandvoort.

It left Tsunoda to be handed the vacant drive at Racing Bulls, with this weekend's event marking his first outing since last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

When asked how he found out the news, Tsunoda told media including RacingNews365: “I was with my manager and also other friends in Greece.

“We were spending [time] together, I was on the beach. I don't want to make a different narrative that I was hanging out at the beach all the time!

“I was still training and everything. But at that moment I heard from my manager, I was at the beach, feeling relaxed, watching the nice, beautiful ocean. 

“Suddenly I got a call, 'Okay, you have to go to the UK'. 

“I was Greece just 24 hours, and you already want me to go to UK. I said, 'Why?' 'Oh, maybe you might have to race this week.'”

Since being dropped from a full-time drive with Red Bull at the end of 2025, Tsunoda has carried out development driver duties for the squad.

Despite being forced to watch on from the sidelines so far this year, Tsunoda insisted he has been training for a possible return and does not feel he will have any rust.

“Physically and in terms of my mind, it's sharp enough because I was training almost every day and for a long time. 

“Training, I have a lot of time to do it because I didn't have anything to do other than that. I've done four TPCs [Testing of Previous Cars] and I've done like five race distances.

“So pretty sharp, and I had a good experience with laps in those TPCs. So all I need to do is to get used to this car, which I guess will feel quite a lot different, the procedures, how to start and everything. 

“Having one free practice will be a bit tricky. But that's why I'm not setting any expectations for now. 

“Just to enjoy and just to have fun, which I wanted to have for a long time.”