Racing fans were given a rare behind-the-scenes look at Formula 1’s media management machine during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort.
FIA-accredited photographer Michael Potts captured a clear image of an internal PR document as Yuki Tsunoda’s press officer held it openly in the paddock.
The photographed sheet contained pre-prepared talking points and scripted responses designed to guide Tsunoda through what was expected to be a difficult media session.
Tsunoda was called into action as a reserve driver after regular Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar was ruled out with a wrist injury sustained during the summer break.
With Hadjar sidelined, Liam Lawson was moved across to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull, creating a vacancy that Tsunoda was called upon to fill at Racing Bulls.
The sudden and sensitive nature of the driver reshuffle prompted Racing Bulls’ communications department to take careful precautions ahead of media engagements involving Tsunoda.
The document, which quickly circulated across social media after Potts captured it, included handwritten notes listing potential journalist questions such as “Did you speak with your teammates?” and the pointed “Weren’t you supposed to get that seat?”
Tsunoda was instructed to keep his responses focused on clear, positive key messages, including expressing excitement about returning to racing on track, his readiness to support both teams, and his trust in management’s decisions.
When asked how he learned of his new race weekend role, the scripted answer provided was simply: “Laurent called me.”
The document also addressed potentially awkward questions surrounding Lawson’s promotion and future, with Tsunoda advised to redirect those queries directly to team management rather than commenting himself.
For any deeper questions about internal hierarchies or strategic decision-making, Tsunoda was similarly told to defer to the team’s leadership rather than offer his own perspective.
The leaked sheet provides a genuinely candid glimpse into the meticulous and deliberate PR planning that Formula 1 teams carry out during race weekends, especially during periods of instability within their driver lineups.
It is rare for such internal documents to become public, and the accidental exposure offered fans an unfiltered look at the communications infrastructure operating beneath the polished surface of an F1 paddock.
The incident serves as a reminder that the carefully composed and measured answers drivers often give in press sessions rarely emerge entirely on their own initiative.