After describing 2025 as the ‘toughest year of my career’, Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to make his F1 comeback with Racing Bulls after the summer break – stepping in for Liam Lawson while he fills in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.
Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Yuki opens up about his struggles at Red Bull last season – revealing how it affected him personally, the biggest mistake he made and what it really felt like when he found out he wouldn’t be on the grid in 2026.
Or so it would seem… You can imagine how happy Yuki was to receive the call that he’d be back racing in Zandvoort, just three days before the first practice session! Yuki takes Tom inside the chaotic week that ensued, how he prepared to drive the 2026 cars for the first time at such short notice, and what it meant to score points in the second race of his comeback at Monza.


And while Yuki’s unsure how many more races he’ll compete in this season as Isack recovers, Tom asks him what the future holds from 2027 onwards.

This episode is sponsored by: 

CarGurus: go to cargurus.co.uk for complete vehicle details without any surprises.

Homeserve: join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe. For 50% less your first
year, go to homeserve.com/grid.

Claude: For problems worth solving go to Claude.ai/grid.

<div>After describing 2025 as the ‘toughest year of my career’, Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to make his F1 comeback with Racing Bulls after the summer break – stepping in for Liam Lawson while he fills in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.</div><br><div>Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Yuki opens up about his struggles at Red Bull last season – revealing how it affected him personally, the biggest mistake he made and what it really felt like when he found out he wouldn’t be on the grid in 2026.</div><br><div>Or so it would seem… You can imagine how happy Yuki was to receive the call that he’d be back racing in Zandvoort, just three days before the first practice session! Yuki takes Tom inside the chaotic week that ensued, how he prepared to drive the 2026 cars for the first time at such short notice, and what it meant to score points in the second race of his comeback at Monza.</div><br><div>
<p>And while Yuki’s unsure how many more races he’ll compete in this season as Isack recovers, Tom asks him what the future holds from 2027 onwards.</p><p>This episode is sponsored by: </p><p>CarGurus: go to <a href="http://cargurus.co.uk">cargurus.co.uk</a> for complete vehicle details without any surprises.</p><p>Homeserve: join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe. For 50% less your first<br>year, go to <a href="http://homeserve.com/grid">homeserve.com/grid</a>.</p><p>Claude: For problems worth solving go to <a href="http://Claude.ai/grid">Claude.ai/grid</a>.</p></div>

Formula 1's fastest stars slow down for in-depth interviews. Tom Clarkson brings you revealing, feature-length conversations with drivers, team bosses, engineering experts and F1 legends.

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