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.