Haas has announced plans to conduct a unique Formula 1 test at the Fuji Speedway circuit in Japan this August. The test days are part of the American team’s new Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program. Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi will get his first experience driving a Formula 1 car during the TPC test at Fuji.
This year, Haas has initiated a TPC program for the first time, thanks to their technical collaboration with Toyota. Although Formula 1 teams have been allowed to test with older cars for years, the American team previously lacked the financial resources to organize test days themselves. Haas will now conduct tests over two days, on August 6 and 7, at the Fuji Speedway circuit in Japan. Reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will kick off the tests, while Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi will make his debut in a Formula 1 car on the second day. Earlier this year, Hirakawa drove the first free practice in Suzuka for Alpine, and the first free practice in Bahrain for Haas.
F1 Debut for Tsuboi
The two Japanese drivers will take the wheel of the VF-23, Haas’s car from 2023. Tsuboi, who won the Super Formula title last year, is greatly looking forward to his F1 debut. “Many thanks to Haas and TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) for this amazing opportunity,” the 30-year-old posted on his social media channels. “Of course, I am very excited to drive the F1 car. I want to make it a perfect day and seize this unique opportunity to make my dreams come true!” Toyota hopes that Haas’s test days will provide more Japanese drivers with the opportunity to gain experience in a Formula 1 car.
