Toyota-backed Tsuboi to make switch from Super Formula to F2
by Jamie Klein · AutosportTsuboi is set to take on the Formula 1 support series in 2027
Toyota-backed Sho Tsuboi is poised to leave Super Formula at the end of the season in favour of a switch to FIA Formula 2.
Tsuboi, who won the 2024 Super Formula title for TOM’S, looks set to follow in the footsteps of Ritomo Miyata in making the move to the Formula 1 support series off the back of his success at the highest levels of Japanese racing.
It comes amid his ongoing involvement in the Haas F1 team’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme, with a 2027 F2 drive likely to go hand-in-hand with a larger role with the team, which has a technical partnership with Toyota.
Tsuboi appeared earlier this month in a TPC test for Haas at Jerez alongside current Haas reserves Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan, marking his third appearance of the year and the 31-year-old’s fifth in total since his initial run at Fuji Speedway last July.
Toyota Racing vice-chairman Kazuki Nakajima wouldn't be drawn on any specific plans for Tsuboi when asked by Autosport, but suggested that his outlook may have become more internationally-focused as a result of his Haas F1 duties.
“We are happy to support not only Sho but all our drivers, and if they have certain targets, thanks to 'Morizo-san' [Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda], we are in a position to support it,” said Nakajima.
“The first question is what his targets are for his future, but I hope his opportunities to drive for Haas may have had a positive impact on his future plans or his wishes.
“It’s really up to him. If he wants to challenge things on an international level, I think there are opportunities, including with Haas. But the first question is what he wants to do.”
With Tsuboi set to move to F2, Miyata looks unlikely to stay in the category for another year.
That’s despite Miyata, who is team-mate to Colton Herta at Hitech, scoring a first win at the Madring in what has been the most competitive of his three seasons in F2 to date.
The 26-year-old’s immediate future remains unclear, but returning to Japan, where he would reunite with TOM’S in both Super Formula and Super GT, is an obvious possibility.
O’Sullivan quits Impul for Envision Formula E drive
Zak O’Sullivan will depart Super Formula as he embarks on a new chapter in his career with Envision Racing in Formula E for the 2026/27 season.
O’Sullivan was named earlier this month as part of an entirely new lineup for the Chinese-owned squad alongside Maximilian Gunther, after spending two seasons as a simulator and reserve driver for the team alongside his Super Formula commitments.
The former Williams F1 reserve and Autosport BRDC Award winner has spearheaded a renaissance for Team Impul this year, scoring the team's first pole since 2022 in the opening race at Fuji in July as well as its first podium since 2023.
It’s not clear whether O’Sullivan will be able to see out the 2026 campaign however due to an overlap between Formula E’s pre-season test at Jarama and the Super Formula finale at Suzuka, which is set for 20-22 November.
The Jarama test will run over five days from 16-20 November, and O’Sullivan would need to leave Spain no later than 19 November to have any chance of reaching Suzuka on time. A detailed schedule for the test has yet to be revealed.
Impul team director Kazuki Hoshino refused to comment when asked by Autosport about the possibility of O’Sullivan departing the team a race early.
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