Reigning Tremendous System champion Sho Tsuboi is about for his second System 1 check outing on the wheel of a Haas VF-23 subsequent month at Silverstone.
Toyota-contracted Tsuboi had his first style of grand prix equipment when he took half in a specially-organised TPC check at Fuji Speedway in Japan in early August.
The 30-year-old Japanese driver earned reward from the group as he set a greatest lap that fell lower than two tenths of a second shy of the qualifying report set by Felipe Massa in 2008.
Now Tsuboi is about for a second TPC outing for Haas at Silverstone on 14-15 October alongside the group’s reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who additionally drove at Fuji in August.
Haas group boss Ayao Komatsu stated he’s wanting ahead to seeing how rapidly Tsuboi can rise up to hurry on the British Grand Prix venue, which he has by no means beforehand pushed at.
“I feel the true check for him might be stepping outdoors of the Japanese atmosphere he’s accustomed to and seeing how rapidly he can adapt to a observe he has no expertise of,” Komatsu informed Motorsport.com’s sister Japanese version.
Sho Tsuboi, VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S
Picture by: Masahide Kamio
“At this stage I might say it’s going nicely. He has pushed lots of of laps at Fuji, however driving the F1 automotive he stated he couldn’t consider how a lot grip there’s within the high-speed corners.
“Particularly going into Flip 1, I am unable to keep in mind how a lot sooner he was [than Super Formula], however it was most likely round 30km/h, and he may brake a lot later. The braking efficiency was so completely different.
“However as soon as he bought over the preliminary shock, he tailored extremely rapidly.”
Tsuboi’s second alternative to drive for Haas comes at a time that Toyota is contemplating the Tremendous System and Tremendous GT champion’s future path.
Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that Tsuboi would embark on a full European racing programme like his predecessor as Tremendous System champion Ritomo Miyata, who’s presently racing in System 2.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe vice-chairman Kazuki Nakajima lately informed Motorsport.com that Tsuboi’s 2026 plans would “depend upon his will”, suggesting that additional Haas outings “may fill the gaps in his schedule” between his Japanese commitments.
Tsuboi lately made his first outing on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO, in a attainable signal he may very well be a part of a future assault by the marque on the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Ritomo Miyata, ART Grand Prix, Roman Stanek, Invicta Racing
Picture by: System Motorsport Ltd
Miyata, in the meantime, appears prone to keep on for a 3rd season in System 2 regardless of his continued aggressive struggles for the ART Grand Prix group.
With two rounds remaining this yr, Miyata sits sixteenth within the standings with a sole podium end in moist circumstances at Spa.
Nakajima says he “personally believes he [Miyata] deserves one other shot” at F2 amid quite a few cases of mechanical issues this yr, together with engine points.
Romain Grosjean made a TPC outing for Haas driving its 2023 F1 automotive at Mugello on Friday, marking his first run in F1 equipment 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 check.
