Racing Bulls put both cars in Dutch GP points fight

Arvid Lindblad qualified 10th and Yuki Tsunoda 12th for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, giving Racing Bulls two realistic shots at points after Lindblad’s rain-compromised Q3 and Tsunoda’s strong return from eight months away.

Lindblad made it through Q1 and Q2 before posting a 1:12.185 in Q3, but the rookie felt there was more on offer. He said the result was “a little disappointing” because rain arrived just as he went for his final run, forcing Racing Bulls away from the tyre preparation approach that had worked earlier.

In post-qualifying comments, Lindblad said: “A little disappointing. We had found something that was working pretty well on the build-up lap when we used the used tyres.” He explained that, with the threat of rain increasing, the team chose not to risk that same approach on the final attack. “Because of the rain, as a team we didn’t want to take the risk. There was a chance it would rain and the lap would become wet, so we stopped the build-up and decided to push straight from the out-lap. But that wasn’t working very well for us.”

That left him exposed as conditions worsened. Lindblad said Gabriel Bortoleto, who ran earlier, “definitely had less rain” on his lap, even if he did not want to use that as an excuse. He added that the combination of the changed plan and the weather was frustrating because the two had been closely matched through the session. “On the last lap there was no grip, so that’s a shame, but it’s still a really good starting position for tomorrow.”

Tsunoda, by contrast, came away encouraged despite missing Q3. In his first weekend back in a Racing Bulls car while Liam Lawson filled in at Red Bull, he reached Q2 and set a 1:12.627 to qualify 12th, only around a tenth shy of the top-10 shootout.

In team comments after qualifying, Tsunoda said: “I’m really happy with today’s result. It’s the first time I’ve properly been back in the car in eight months, and I enjoyed every moment.” He said he spent the session focused on his own driving and where he could improve, rather than on the timing screen or other cars.

That progress built through the weekend. Tsunoda said the Sprint helped him understand the car better after Friday and gave him more confidence to attack. “I was able to understand more from the Sprint race, and I was able to push more with this car,” he said. Even without a place in Q3, he described the experience in simple terms: “Honestly, it was like a dream. It was the best.”

The result matters because Racing Bulls now has both cars starting close enough to fight into the top 10 on race day. Lindblad said the setup changes for qualifying had a bigger effect than he expected and left the car in a strong place for Sunday, while Tsunoda believes there is still more natural performance to come from his side as he builds confidence.

Lindblad called 10th “a really good starting position” and said Racing Bulls already knows it can launch well off the line. Tsunoda said he is “very close to the points” and plans to “push as much as possible” and take every opportunity in what both drivers see as a genuine points opportunity for the team.