Yuki Tsunoda Gets Another F1 Chance at Monza — But Could This Be His Shot at a Full-Time Seat?

Yuki Tsunoda will get another opportunity to put himself back in the Formula 1 spotlight this weekend after Racing Bulls confirmed that the Japanese driver will return to the cockpit for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Tsunoda is stepping in for Liam Lawson, who has once again been promoted to Red Bull’s senior team as injured driver Isack Hadjar remains sidelined with a wrist injury.

The reshuffle means the two Red Bull-owned teams will retain the same temporary arrangement used at the Dutch Grand Prix: Lawson will race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Tsunoda will partner rookie Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls.

Hadjar suffered the wrist injury during the Formula 1 summer break and missed the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Although the 21-year-old had hoped to return at Monza, Red Bull decided not to risk putting him back into competition before he has fully recovered.

For Tsunoda, however, Hadjar’s absence creates another valuable opportunity.

The 26-year-old Japanese driver returned to F1 action at Zandvoort after losing his Red Bull race seat and going without a full-time F1 drive. Despite having limited recent race mileage, Tsunoda finished 11th for Racing Bulls, narrowly missing out on a championship point.

His performance was nevertheless viewed positively inside the paddock. Formula 1 noted that Tsunoda’s weekend helped put him back on the radar as he demonstrated that he could quickly adapt to an unfamiliar car and remain competitive against more established drivers.

Tsunoda also spent much of his time away from racing maintaining his preparation through simulator work and testing programmes, helping him remain familiar with modern F1 procedures and Red Bull’s 2026 machinery.

Now, Monza gives him another chance to make an impression.

Lawson gets another Red Bull opportunity

While Tsunoda returns to Racing Bulls, Lawson will have another opportunity to prove himself alongside Verstappen.

The New Zealander impressed on his return to Red Bull at Zandvoort, finishing seventh after starting eighth. He currently sits ninth in the drivers’ championship with 49 points. Verstappen, meanwhile, is sixth with 71 points.

Lawson’s second consecutive weekend in the RB22 could therefore become significant as Red Bull continues to assess its driver situation.

For Tsunoda, the situation is more complicated.

His immediate assignment is simply to race for Racing Bulls at Monza. But another strong performance could strengthen his case for a future opportunity elsewhere in the F1 field.

Formula 1 reported after Zandvoort that Tsunoda’s prospects of finding another full-time seat appeared better than they had before his return, although opportunities remain limited because of the number of established drivers and emerging talents competing for available seats.

Why Monza could matter for Tsunoda

Monza is one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar, with long straights, heavy braking zones and relatively little margin for error. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix will be the 77th edition of the event within the world championship, with the race scheduled for 53 laps over 5.793 kilometres.

That makes Tsunoda’s second consecutive outing particularly important.

He already has experience adapting to the Racing Bulls car from Zandvoort. A cleaner and stronger weekend at Monza would give him another opportunity to demonstrate that his pace and experience remain valuable under the current regulations.

There is also an additional Red Bull driver development subplot at Monza. Ayumu Iwasa is scheduled to drive Verstappen’s Red Bull during Friday’s first free practice session, while Tsunoda handles Racing Bulls duties for the weekend.

For now, there is no confirmation that Tsunoda is being considered for a permanent return to a Red Bull race seat.

But two consecutive race weekends back in an F1 car give him something he desperately needed: track time and a chance to remind the paddock what he can do.

And if Tsunoda can turn that opportunity into points at the Temple of Speed, the conversation around his F1 future could become very different.

WWC ONE MEDIA MJE