Yuki Tsunoda returns to Red Bull cockpit in Barcelona TPC outing

Yuki Tsunoda has been back behind the wheel of a Red Bull this week, undertaking a Testing of a Previous Car [TPC] outing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Tsunoda moved into a reserve role at Red Bull for this season after the team opted for Isack Hadjar to partner Max Verstappen for 2026, but the Japanese driver has retained a role with the team nonetheless.

Yuki Tsunoda completes Red Bull Barcelona TPC test

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Tsunoda revealed he covered two race distances in Barcelona on Tuesday, meaning at least 132 laps of the circuit at which Formula 1 raced at the weekend, with the team wanting him to stay race-fit in case he is called upon.

He is taking on reserve duties across both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls this season, contributing to the team with simulator work alongside being present at race weekends in case called upon.

The 26-year-old was back behind the wheel in Istanbul in April, taking in a demo run in a 2012 title-winning RB8 as the return of the Turkish Grand Prix was announced.

This time, though, he was able to test more recent machinery and back on a Formula 1 circuit again.

“Still smiling after two race distances in the Barcelona heat,” Tsunoda wrote on Instagram.

“So good to be back behind the wheel, feels like I never left.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has previously stated his desire for Tsunoda, who represented both Red Bull squads between 2021 and 2025, to make a return to the grid in some form in 2027.

In the here and now, he confirmed the purpose of this test was for him to stay in the right condition in case he is needed – given he is ineligible for the rookie FP1 slots for the season.

“We are very happy to give to Yuki a chance to get back into the car,” Mekies told PlanetF1.com and others in Barcelona.

“He has done a very good job for us. He’s part of the Red Bull family, and we took the very, very, very first opportunity to put him back in the car.

More from the world of Formula 1

F1 team valuations 2026: Mercedes closes in on Ferrari as most valuable team

F1 driver contracts: What is the current contract status of every driver on the 2026 grid?

“Above all, it’s important for him that, as a reserve to others, he has a chance to stay warm, stay sharp in the car.

“He does a lot of work in the simulator, work to stay fit physically, [but] there is nothing like driving the car.”

Red Bull’s other reserve driver, Ayumu Iwasa, took part in FP1 ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, to fill one of the team’s four mandatory rookie slots of the season.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Untelevised Lewis Hamilton team radio emerges after ‘critical’ Spanish GP moment