Yuki Tsunoda started 2026 without a race seat. In late August he was called back from holiday to drive for Racing Bulls, and in his second race back he started fifteenth at Monza and finished tenth.
It is the only point he has scored this season, and it came from a place he did not expect to be. Red Bull dropped him to reserve driver at the end of 2025. When Isack Hadjar fractured his wrist in a boxing training session during the summer break, Liam Lawson moved up from Racing Bulls to Red Bull, and Tsunoda took Lawson's seat for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix. Hadjar was fit again for Baku, Lawson went back to Racing Bulls, and Tsunoda returned to the reserve role after three races.
