Tsunoda admits 2026 cars' complexity tripped him up in Italy

Yuki Tsunoda gets another F1 chance in Madrid, subbing for Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls while Lawson replaces injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull. But the Japanese driver admits the 2026 cars are far harder to master than expected, and his Italian GP mistakes were a wake-up call.

Why it matters:

Tsunoda's struggles show the steep learning curve for drivers adapting to the new regs mid-season. With points tight, small errors in energy management or grid positioning can have outsized consequences.

The details:

• Dutch GP debut was smooth: finished just outside points, ahead of teammate Arvid Lindblad.
• Monza was messy: struggled for pace, wrong grid spot at restart, 10th place now under Audi protest.
• "I tended to forget quite a lot SM [Straightline Mode] last week, especially the Turn 8 to Turn 10," he said.
• The 50:50 hybrid split and active aero demand precise throttle positions to avoid confusing machine-learning algorithms.
• He "underestimated the amount of damage or penalty you'll get if you don't do everything right."

The big picture:

Verstappen claims these cars are "numb to your driver inputs," citing how quickly fill-ins like Lawson and Tsunoda have adapted. Tsunoda disagrees: "I'm not really taking anything from his comments... Compare to my results, it's a very individual thing. I think I've done a good job."

What's next:

Madrid's new circuit will be another stern test. Tsunoda must master out-lap energy management quickly. A points finish could help Racing Bulls in the constructors' fight — but the margin for error is razor-thin.