© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
If only the school holidays used to draaaaaaag like this mid-season break. We’re so glad to be back, as we’re sure you are too.
Let’s catch you up on VCARB action while we’ve been away from racing. Basically, it’s been a LOT of this (the boys simply love racing - who can blame them?) mixed with this (we also love racing - who can blame us?). We also hit one million subscribers on YouTube! Not bad for ragebait content and memes…
With that all being said, there’s only one reason you’re hearing from us right now… And that’s because WE ARE SO BACK, folks. F1 season is in full swing. And what better way to start the second half of the 2026 championship than a trip to Zandvoort, home of our world-famous, trophy-breaking Isack podium in 2025?
For Round 12 of the FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2026, Isack Hadjar was injured during the mid-season break, so Liam moved over to Oracle Red Bull Racing to take his place, with Yuki Tsunoda taking his seat with us at Racing Bulls. Absolutely everyone loved that. With that driver admin out of the way (and Yuki’s return suitably celebrated), we got underway with our weekend of racing.
Starting off, as always, with our Creator Platform poster, courtesy of @moonlit_isles, we immediately set Yuki on social filming duties, much to his delight. This weekend also marked the return of Rafa and the fourth round of the F1 Academy. It’s quite chic, actually. She was the first to hit the track and put in a great time to finish P2 in Free Practice. Nicely done, Rafa!
F1 Academy Day In Zandvoort© VCARB AdminFor Arvid and Yuki, it was another Sprint weekend, so in the sole Free Practice session of the weekend, they finished P10 and P17 respectively as they prepared for Sprint Qualifying. Arvid’s 1:12.737 lap time got him into SQ3 in P10, with Yuki juuuuust missing out in P12. After Friday’s on-track antics, here was their debrief:
Saturday came around and with it, the F1 Academy Reverse Grid Race and the F1 Sprint. Boy, oh boy, we were in for a treat. Rafa was in a close battle with multiple cars in a fight for the points-scoring positions, finishing P14, a strong result after a crash in Qualifying due to heavy rain and tricky track conditions.
The boys hit the track for the Sprint Race shortly afterwards. Arvid was in 10th, Yuki in 12th, with Medium tyres on both cars. Yuki lost a place to Colapinto on the opening lap, but soon fought back through, and after 24 laps, both cars finished where they started, mere seconds before the heavens opened up and rain began to fall. Not the result we wanted, but it was still all to play for in the Grand Prix on Sunday. But before that, we needed to qualify, and qualify we did. Arvid, once again, made it through to Q3 and started in P10, with Yuki close on his heels in P12. Both drivers were in the mix for a good old Zandvoort weekend and some delicious Championship points.
Sunday came around, which, for those of you in the know, means it’s Race Day. We gave Yuki a camera for his first Drivers’ Parade of 2026, and it went as well as you’d expect.
Rafa lined up for the Feature Race too, and after a tight, tricky race, finished in P15. Sadly, no points for her F1 Academy Championship, but lots of positives to reflect on.
Right then, let’s get into the Grand Prix, shall we?
Red Light...Green Light© Getty Images / Red Bull Content PoolBoth Yuki and Arvid started on Soft tyres. Arvid was up to P8 by the end of the first lap, but due to an overtake under yellow flags, following by a crash by Max Verstappen, he was given a drive-through penalty. Arvid served this at the restart of the race and ended up at the back of the pack. But don’t be fooled, that didn’t stop our Arvid from putting in a shift. Yuki was battling with the Audis and Alpines for the last point-scoring positions, leaving nothing on the table. You wouldn’t have guessed he’d never driven this era of Formula 1 cars, let’s put it that way. Yuki was into the points by Lap 10, only dropping out of them on Lap 14 when he pitted for fresh Hard tyres and emerged P14.
Teetering With The Gravel© Getty Images / Red Bull Content PoolBy Lap 20, Arvid had fought his way through the pack and was up to P12, fending off the attacks of Gasly and Hulkenberg and emerging in P11. On Lap 29, Yuki pulled off a generational overtake on Gasly’s Alpine to take P12, sweeping down the inside of Turns 4 and 5 to get the move done and advance up the grid. After another pit stop each, on Lap 38 for Arvid and Lap 46 for Yuki, there was still battling to be done. Arvid lost a place to Gasly, then got it back, then lost it again, then GOT IT BACK. The racing was exceptional and we could barely contain ourselves. Yuki was in P9 for a while, only dropping out of the points when pitting for fresh tyres. By the time 72 laps were over, the final positions were confirmed: Yuki P11, Arvid P12. It’s a shame not to come away with points after such a gruelling race, but there’s plenty to be proud of.
Here are the post-race thoughts from Zandvoort:
After all of that, you might be wondering what happens next. Well, fellow VCARB enjoyer, fret not, for there is just a mere week to wait until we can do it all over again. Join us from 4-6 September for Round 13 of the World Championship: the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d’Italia 2026.
From all of us here at VCARB, arrivederci.
The Arvid x Yuki Collab You Didn't Know You Needed© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
