Tsuboi set for second F1 test with Haas at Silverstone

Reigning Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi is set for his second Formula 1 test outing at the wheel of a Haas VF-23 next month at Silverstone.

Toyota-contracted Tsuboi had his first taste of grand prix machinery when he took part in a specially-organised TPC test at Fuji Speedway in Japan in early August.

The 30-year-old Japanese driver earned praise from the team as he set a best lap that fell less than two tenths of a second shy of the qualifying record set by Felipe Massa in 2008. 

Now Tsuboi is set for a second TPC outing for Haas at Silverstone on 14-15 October alongside the team’s reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who also drove at Fuji in August.

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu said he is looking forward to seeing how quickly Tsuboi can get up to speed at the British Grand Prix venue, which he has never previously driven at.

“I think the real test for him will be stepping outside of the Japanese environment he is familiar with and seeing how quickly he can adapt to a track he has no experience of,” Komatsu told Autosport’s sister Japanese edition.

“At this stage I would say it is going well. He has driven hundreds of laps at Fuji, but driving the F1 car he said he couldn’t believe how much grip there is in the high-speed corners.

“Especially going into Turn 1, I can’t remember how much faster he was [than Super Formula], but it was probably around 30km/h, and he could brake much later. The braking performance was so different.

“But once he got over the initial shock, he adapted incredibly quickly.”

Tsuboi’s second opportunity to drive for Haas comes at a time that Toyota is considering the Super Formula and Super GT champion’s future path.

However, it appears unlikely that Tsuboi would embark on a full European racing programme like his predecessor as Super Formula champion Ritomo Miyata, who is currently racing in Formula 2.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe vice-chairman Kazuki Nakajima recently told Autosport that Tsuboi’s 2026 plans would “depend on his will”, suggesting that further Haas outings “could fill the gaps in his schedule” between his Japanese commitments.

Tsuboi recently made his first outing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO, in a possible sign he could be part of a future assault by the marque on the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Ritomo Miyata, ART Grand Prix, Roman Stanek, Invicta Racing

Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Miyata meanwhile looks likely to stay on for a third season in Formula 2 despite his continued competitive struggles for the ART Grand Prix team.

With two rounds remaining this year, Miyata sits 16th in the standings with a sole podium finish in wet conditions at Spa.

Nakajima says he “personally believes he [Miyata] deserves another shot” at F2 amid numerous instances of mechanical problems this year, including engine issues.

Romain Grosjean made a TPC outing for Haas driving its 2023 F1 car at Mugello on Friday, marking his first run in F1 machinery since his horrific Bahrain Grand Prix accident in 2020. The French driver was joined by former IndyCar driver and F1TV analyst James Hinchcliffe for the test.