When reigning Super Formula and Super GT champion Sho Tsuboi drove a Haas Formula One car at Fuji Speedway earlier this month, it was the realization of a childhood dream.

An impressive performance, which also coincides with Toyota’s modest return to F1, could signal the start of something more substantial.

As Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing deepen their ties under a technical partnership that began last year, Tsuboi, who races for Toyota-backed TOM’S, was handed a rare chance to take part in a special Haas F1 test at the Shizuoka Prefecture track.