Yuki Tsunoda says he feels “like a rookie” on his Formula 1 return as he tries to adapt almost immediately to the radically different 2026 cars. Called up by Racing Bulls after Liam Lawson moved to Red Bull to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, the Japanese driver arrived at Zandvoort having never driven this generation of Formula 1 machinery outside the simulator.
After around eight months away from racing in Formula 1, Yuki Tsunoda must now deal with MGU-K-influenced rear braking, reduced aerodynamic load compared with last year’s cars and just one free practice session before competitive action because of the Sprint format. The result is effectively a crash course in relearning how to drive a Formula 1 car that behaves very differently from the one he left behind.
Yuki Tsunoda returns after Isack Hadjar injury reshuffles Red Bull line-up
Can a driver really feel like a rookie again after five years in Formula 1? In Yuki Tsunoda’s case, the answer is yes, particularly after spending approximately eight months on the sidelines while the sport went through one of the most significant technical revolutions in its history.
The wrist injury suffered by Isack Hadjar during the summer break triggered a chain reaction across Red Bull’s two teams. Liam Lawson was promoted from Racing Bulls to replace the Frenchman at Red Bull, opening the door for Tsunoda to return to the grid. The circumstances behind Isack Hadjar’s Dutch GP injury created an unexpected opportunity for the Japanese driver to make his Formula 1 comeback.
Despite the difficult preparation, Yuki Tsunoda qualified 12th for the Sprint and said he was “pretty satisfied” with the result. Until this weekend, his experience of a 2026 Formula 1 car had been limited to simulator work. During free practice, he also encountered some difficulties with power unit deployment and mapping.
After leaving the Formula 1 grid at the end of last season, Yuki Tsunoda continued working in the simulator to contribute to car development and completed several TPC, or Testing of Previous Cars, outings to maintain his fitness and sharpness. Those tests, however, used machinery from the previous technical cycle, with very little in common with the 2026 generation in terms of behaviour and characteristics.
Yuki Tsunoda did not participate in Pirelli’s tests with the 2026 cars either, as Red Bull and Racing Bulls relied exclusively on their regular race drivers. That made his Zandvoort debut even more complicated, especially because the Sprint format provided only a single free practice session before Sprint Qualifying.
Yuki Tsunoda: ‘Everything feels like I’m a rookie’
“To be honest, everything feels completely new, like I’m a rookie: the brake pressure, everything is very different compared with last year,” Yuki Tsunoda explained after the session. “With only two sets of tyres available, you don’t want to damage the tyres straight away, so it was pretty tricky.”
“In the end, though, I’m pretty satisfied with the performance I had in qualifying, in Sprint Qualifying. Obviously there are a couple of things I can still improve, but with this kind of format the objective is to build the result step by step.”
His return has been one of the most unusual stories of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, with Isack Hadjar also sending Tsunoda a message ahead of his F1 comeback.
Why 2026 F1 braking feels so different to Tsunoda
It is no surprise that Yuki Tsunoda focused on the brakes. One of the issues Pirelli had already highlighted during the first pre-season test in Barcelona was the high number of lock-ups drivers experienced.
In 2026, a significant proportion of rear braking no longer comes purely from the mechanical brakes. Instead, the MGU-K plays an important role while recovering energy, meaning the behaviour of the rear axle under braking has changed considerably.
That requires particularly precise set-up work, not only in terms of brake balance but also in how braking assistance behaves through the different phases of a braking zone. Every driver approaches braking differently: some favour a more progressive modulation, while others prefer to brake later and with greater initial force before releasing the pedal.
Those parameters also existed under the previous technical regulations, but their importance has increased significantly in 2026.
“Here it’s mainly about understanding the car. We’re still at the very early stages, so everything is a little different,” Yuki Tsunoda said. “And maybe it’s not completely fair to say this, but most of the drivers are struggling a little with the balance, the brake response and the loss of downforce compared with last year. So I need to adapt quickly.”
Lower downforce changes how drivers handle the 2026 cars
The overall level of aerodynamic load has also changed. Formula 1 has moved away from cars that were extremely stable through high-speed corners but could become remarkably unpredictable once they left their ideal operating window.
The 2026 cars are less stable, but drivers find their behaviour easier to interpret and believe they can “play” with them more, particularly when managing movement from the rear axle.
That is another reason why Yuki Tsunoda needs time to readjust, especially given the influence MGU-K energy recovery has on rear-end behaviour during braking.
Much of Tsunoda’s deficit to Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad came during the phase in which the driver must turn the car into the corner and then maintain speed through it. That is precisely the type of situation where experience with the new generation of cars can make a meaningful difference.
Tsunoda compares 2026 car with one of F1’s fastest generations
“I’ve driven last year’s car, which is probably one of the fastest in history, right? And I enjoyed myself enormously during the TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] sessions,” Yuki Tsunoda said.
“Moving to this car, though, gives you very different sensations, especially in the high-speed corners. And on a traditional circuit like this, there isn’t much room in the run-off areas, so you have to build up the rhythm gradually. But yes, I’m enjoying this process.”
The challenge is intensified by the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint format, which dramatically limits preparation time. The Zandvoort Sprint weekend presents an especially demanding set-up challenge even for drivers who have spent the entire season in their cars.
“My main objective remains qualifying tomorrow. So far, I think I’ve managed to progress well session by session,” Yuki Tsunoda concluded. “So yes, I’m excited for the long run tomorrow: that’s exactly what I need to gather all the data before qualifying and the race.”
For Yuki Tsunoda, the unexpected comeback is therefore about considerably more than simply rediscovering the speed required to race in Formula 1. After eight months away, he is simultaneously learning a new Racing Bulls car, a new regulatory generation and braking and aerodynamic characteristics that have changed some of the fundamentals he had spent years mastering.
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