Sho Tsuboi’s Formula 1 debut at a TPC test in Fuji marks the next step in the ever-closer cooperation between Haas and Toyota
Toyota factory driver Tsuboi will join Haas test driver Ryo Hirakawa on August 6 and 7 for the two-day test at the Japanese circuit, which last hosted a Grand Prix in 2008. It will be the first time ever that the 30-year-old has driven a Formula 1 car. This is a highlight that follows his Super Formula title win with Toyota’s top team TOM’S last year.
Tsuboi wrote on social media: “Thank you to Team Haas and TGR for this wonderful opportunity. Of course, I’m really looking forward to driving a Formula 1 car. I want to make this day perfect and take advantage of this unique opportunity to make my dream come true!”
“I am naturally very pleased that we are able to complete two days of testing at Fuji Speedway in Japan in our first season with the team’s TPC program,” said Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu. “It is special to be able to run our car at Toyota’s home track, where we first announced our partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing last October.”
Tsuboi’s first Formula 1 adventure is another visible sign of the collaboration between Haas and Toyota, which was made official last year. Hirakawa has already sat in the cockpit for Haas on several occasions, including in the first free practice sessions in Bahrain and Spain this season. Tsuboi’s predecessor as Super Formula champion, Ritomo Miyata, also got to drive a Formula 1 car for Haas during testing in Jerez in January.
Tsuboi won the Super Formula title last year after replacing Miyata at TOM’S, who in turn moved to Formula 2. Tsuboi claimed three of his season wins at Fuji Speedway, the venue for his upcoming Formula 1 debut.
Tsuboi currently lies third in the Super Formula standings behind Tadasuke Makino and Kakunoshin Ohta ahead of this weekend’s double-header at Fuji. Tsuboi is also extremely successful in Super GT: The three-time champion currently leads the overall standings and could secure the title for the fourth time in five years this year.
Incidentally, the test will not take place under strict secrecy, as is often the case with TPC tests. Komatsu explains: “It’s great that we’re using the VF-23 and that the test is open to the public. We know how passionate Japanese fans are about Formula 1. It’s fantastic that we’re racing in Japan for the second time this year after the Grand Prix in April.”
Masaya Kaji, Toyota’s head of global motorsports program, adds: “We have entered into a technical partnership that aims to further develop the three crucial elements of vehicle construction: people, processes, and product. This test is part of our activities in the area of people, i.e., the development of human resources. I am convinced that Sho, with his experience as a Super Formula champion, will not only further develop his own skills but also be a valuable source of motivation for the other TGR drivers.”
“In addition, mechanics and engineers from Toyota Motor Corporation will also be on site. This is an excellent opportunity for them to gain new insights. Experiencing the technologies and skills required in Formula 1, the highest level of motorsport, at close quarters will undoubtedly be a formative experience for them.”
“Together with the Haas team, we want to use challenges like this not only to promote the development of each individual driver, engineer, and mechanic, but also to take their technical skills to a new level. The experience gained in the process will be passed on to the next generation, helping to raise the sporting and technological level of motorsport as a whole,” says Kaji.
