Red Bull Motorsports
F1
In the wings: The role of an F1 reserve driver
Red Bull's test driver lineup is one of the strongest on the grid – a blend of F1 experience, championship-winning talent and hungry young prospects. But what is the role of a reserve driver?
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A reserve driver is the team's backup – the first to step up if a driver cannot race due to illness, injury or unforeseen circumstances. The reserve has to stay in peak condition and be fully prepared in case the call ever comes. But the reserve driver is also a vital part of the team, spending hours preparing the car for races and testing new designs for the future.
01
Who are the reserve drivers?
Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB Team have a formidable roster of reserve drivers on call. Yuki Tsunoda is the official test and reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, agreeing to take on the role after being replaced by Isack Hadjar.
If Max Verstappen, Hadjar, Liam Lawson or Arvid Lindblad are unable to drive, Tsunoda is primed and ready to race. “I’m determined to work harder than ever with Red Bull as test and reserve driver to develop with the team, and prove I deserve a place on the grid,” said Tsunoda.
Yuki Tsunoda pauses to sign autographs for fans
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
02
How often do reserve drivers substitute for racing drivers?
It doesn’t happen very often but of the current grid, Lawson got his break in F1 covering for Daniel Ricciardo at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix before replacing the Aussie at Visa Cash App RB Team toward the end of the 2024 season. Oliver Bearman stepped up for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Carlos Sainz was hospitalised with appendicitis before later joining F1 full-time with Haas.
Already in F1 with Williams but a Mercedes driver, George Russell deputised for Lewis Hamilton at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix when the world champion had Covid, impressing enough to ultimately earn a seat with Mercedes.
But being a reserve driver means you are in the F1 paddock on race weekends and that can lead to a full-time drive: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez were recruited by Cadillac for the US team’s debut season after a year on the bench.
03
Are there other times when reserve drivers get to drive in F1?
At two Grands Prix per season, F1 teams have to allow a 'rookie' driver to take the car out in FP1. It's a vital part of developing new drivers but in a season with the biggest rule changes in F1 history, the team needs to maximise track time for testing. A 'rookie' is defined as a driver who has started no more than two Grands Prix. For many teams, that role falls to the reserve driver but at Red Bull Racing, Tsunoda is ruled out with five seasons in F1 under his belt.
Rookie driver Ayumu Iwasa at FP1 at the Barcelona Grand Prix
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
At the recent session in Barcelona, that job was fulfilled by a Red Bull Junior Team driver, Ayumu Iwasa. But Iwasa is not only the reigning Super Formula champion, he has the most F1 experience in the Junior Team. Barcelona was the Japanese driver’s second practice outing for Red Bull Racing, but he has driven for Racing Bulls four times.
Red Bull Racing also have the vastly experienced Sébastien Buemi at their disposal as a development driver. The Swiss raced in F1 for Visa Cash App RB Team when it was Toro Rosso. He is also a four-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, a four-time World Endurance champion and a Formula E champion. Between all that, Buemi has spent more time in the Red Bull Racing simulator than almost anyone else.
Development driver Sébastien Buemi
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
04
What does a reserve driver do?
Apart from being ready to race, a massive part of the reserve driver workload is based back at the factory in the simulator. With track time so limited in F1, the hard yards of testing are performed in the sim. Backed by a team of strategists, engineers and AI, the sim is a powerful tool that can replicate real circuits, car behaviour and setup changes with incredible accuracy and is used to prep the cars for the next Grand Prix and to test engines and tech for future seasons.
“Most of my job is to basically be in the simulator during the race event, we call it the race support,” says Buemi. “We've only got two-hour sessions on the Friday – not much time to test a lot of things. In the simulator, you can drive as much as you want.
“We try to make sure the car behaves in a very similar way to the real car on the racetrack, and then we come up with different ways of setting up the car. Hopefully, we can make the car faster.”
The next best thing: The modern F1 factory simulator
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
This programme starts on Thursday, with the results shared with the team in the factory and in the garage at the circuit, ready for the engineers to put in place in time for FP1. After each practice session, the sim team will be back in action performing more tests to find the best set-up. After FP3, the car will be ready for qualifying.
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What does a reserve driver do at the race track?
With work finished in the factory on Saturday, the reserve driver will make a dash to the airport to catch the first flight to the Grand Prix in order to be at the circuit rested and ready to race on Sunday. In the morning, they’ll take part in pre-race briefings and share their findings with the engineers and the racing drivers.
It’s a key function, especially in 2026 under a new rule cycle: they will learn from the drivers how the car is performing, how they want the car to handle and work with the engineers on translating that feedback into performance changes.
Rookie driver Ayumu Iwasa on track in FP1 at the Barcelona Grand Prix
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
For Tsunoda, this part of the role comes naturally. After years of working effectively with the teams at Racing Bulls and Red Bull Racing, he knows the language, the processes and the people. His value as a reserve isn’t just in his driving; it's in his ability to understand the data and articulate exactly what the car is doing.
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How do reserve drivers stay focused?
As professional athletes, the drivers will be looking after their bodies both in the gym and by eating properly. Fitness and good sleep hygiene are very important for drivers to stay sharp. If the team is working on the other side of the world, it means the driver and sim team engineers will be keeping some unusual business hours as they need to operate in the race team’s time zone.
Tsunoda will be spending the most time in the sim running tests and setups, which demands considerable focus. With more free time, Buemi is still competing in the World Endurance Championship, winning the opening 6Hrs of Monza, meanwhile Iwasa is combining his reserve role with defending his Super Formula title in Japan.
Good sport: Yuki Tsunoda takes part in the Wings for Life World Run
© Greg Coleman for Wings for Life World Run
07
Do reserve drivers have any other duties?
The role extends beyond the garage. Reserve drivers act as ambassadors for the team, getting involved in media activities, sponsor events and fan engagement. Tsunoda, with his passionate driving style, irrepressible sense of humour and huge fanbase, is a natural fit. At Red Bull Racing, that also extends to performing showcar runs. Buemi has driven an F1 car over mountains, frozen lakes and exotic beaches.
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