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Japan Times
15 hours ago
- Japan Times
Sho Tsuboi realizes ‘dream' with Haas F1 test at Fuji Speedway
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. The 30-year-old took to the wheel of the 2023-spec Haas VF-23 — the most recent car that F1 teams are allowed to run under the current sporting regulations — in front of several thousand petrolheads on Aug. 7 as Toyota-owned Fuji reverberated with the sound of contemporary F1 machinery for the first time since 2008. 'I started karting when I was 5, and it was always my dream to be an F1 driver,' Tsuboi said after the test. 'In graduation yearbooks and such, I was writing that from when I was in elementary school, and I wrote it when I joined Toyota's driver development program. 'Honestly, I'd half-given up on it, but getting good results in Japanese racing led to this chance. It's just the start, but one of my dreams came true at that moment.' Sho Tsuboi (left) with Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu at Fuji Speedway | TOYOTA There was plenty of intrigue surrounding whether Tsuboi or Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who also drove during the two-day test, would be able to better the qualifying lap record set by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa in 2008, the second and final year that Fuji hosted F1 this century. Enjoying more favorable conditions on the second day, with lower ambient and track temperatures allowing for faster lap times to be set, Tsuboi came the closest to Massa's benchmark, falling a little under two tenths shy with a best time of 1:17.470. That didn't take anything away from a job well done by Tsuboi, who was praised by Toyota global motorsports director Masaya Kaji for his speed and his preparations, which included brushing up on his English to be able to communicate adequately with the Haas team. 'Even more than I thought, he showed a good level of performance,' Kaji said. 'I knew he would be able to drive the car properly, but I could tell he really put in a lot of hard work to prepare. He didn't make any mistakes and the time he did in the end was fast. 'Of course, there are some points he has to improve, but I think he showed himself well. It's as I expected. He drove very well, so I think there were only positives to take away.' Before the test, Kaji made it clear he saw Tsuboi's maiden F1 drive as an 'audition' and not a reward for his first Super Formula title, which came last year in his first season driving for the TOM'S team in place of the previous year's champion, Ritomo Miyata. Following that success, Miyata was sent by Toyota to contest Formula 2, the main feeder series for F1 in Europe, but his results have been disappointing so far. He finished 19th overall as a rookie and sits 14th in the standings through 10 of 14 rounds this year. Tsuboi "drove very well, so I think there were only positives to take away," said Toyota global motorsports director Masaya Kaji. | TOYOTA For any Japanese driver who has grown up driving the same five or six circuits over and over, F2 is a huge challenge. Practice time is extremely limited, and two different tire compounds are in use during any given weekend, making the learning curve steeper. All of that means that rapid adaptation in an alien environment is paramount to success. Miyata's struggles make it seem unlikely that Toyota would pursue the F2 route for Tsuboi, who is four years older and doesn't speak English to the same level. But Hirakawa, who combines F1 reserve duties for Haas with a full-time cockpit in Toyota's World Endurance Championship squad, could provide an alternative template. Having enjoyed success in Super Formula and in the WEC, Hirakawa bypassed F2 and instead has gathered experience in F1 with a number of teams in a reserve role, and has already participated in multiple free practice sessions on F1 weekends. Should Toyota push to promote any of its drivers to a full-time F1 seat, Hirakawa looks like the best bet. And in that scenario, Tsuboi could well be a candidate for a reserve position. Kaji, who has said that the ties with Haas came out of a desire for Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda to reopen an F1 pathway for Japanese personnel, said he 'can't deny that possibility.' It's clear Tsuboi will need to gain more experience in the VF-23, and at circuits that he doesn't know. His English ability would also need to improve considerably before he could integrate seamlessly with the team. But, having impressed at Fuji, the path looks to be open. 'For a first try, he showed he can drive,' Kaji said. 'I don't think this is the end of the story.'
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Javelin star Kitaguchi finds new home in small Czech town
Reigning Olympic and world javelin champion Haruka Kitaguchi has found a new home in a remote corner of the Czech Republic, a country that is home to several javelin legends. The 27-year-old Japanese athlete is getting ready for next month's world championships in Tokyo in the western Czech town of Domazlice. "I can concentrate on training here. And the weather is better than in Tokyo, which is too hot for me," Kitaguchi said at the local training centre — on a scorching hot Czech summer day. She ended up in the cozy historic town after teaming up with local coach David Sekerak at a training seminar in Finland in 2018. Former javelin thrower Sekerak knew that she had won the world youth championships in 2015. "She was a big woman and I could see she had something in her," he added, hailing her self-discipline. Kitaguchi followed him to the country of three-time Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny and two-time Olympic winner Barbora Spotakova. "When I came for the first time, my coach said, today you can throw with my friend," Kitaguchi said. "I went with him, and there was Barbora Spotakova. It was a good experience as she is my idol," Kitaguchi said. Sekerak has since led her to the 2023 world title and the 2024 Olympic crown, together with two Diamond League titles. Beer and goulash Mixing English and Czech, Kitaguchi said she appreciated "a good balance" in Sekerak's training. "He also finds a way ... for me to throw far. And every competition he stands behind me, supporting me. It's great mental aid," she added. A lover of Czech beer and heavy meals like goulash or dumplings in cream sauce, Kitaguchi said she had taken Czech lessons during the pandemic. "But they only taught me to say 'I have a pen.' Nothing I could use in training," she said, bursting out laughing. Her tinkling laughter can be heard even as she jogs and stretches alongside her Czech training partner Petra Sicakova, the javelin silver medalist from this year's European under-23 championships. "My mum said when you train hard, it helps to smile. It's good for good training and good results, she said. So I do that," Kitaguchi said. When she competed at the Paris Olympics, a cafe in Domazlice's sprawling historic square put up a large screen for locals to cheer for their neighbour. A party followed, and city officials staged an official welcome with a local bagpipe band when Kitaguchi and Sekerak returned home. In Domazlice, Kitaguchi lives in a flat in a hotel run by her coach's wife. "I did a lot of the building work there myself," said Sekerak, who also owns a printing shop and makes his own javelins, used by his team. Kitaguchi, who has her mother, a physiotherapist and a cook with her now, has her own model called Giant Baby, which is her Instagram nickname. 'Silly thoughts' Kitaguchi, whose personal best is 67.38 meters from 2023, said her dream was to beat 70 m. "It's my target for my life," she said. Sekerak said Kitaguchi could even tackle Spotakova's world record of 72.28 m from 2008. One condition is to drop "silly thoughts" that got into Kitaguchi's head as she was coping with fame following the two big titles, he added. "I think we wasted about a year there, but she's OK now. It helps to go for a beer and some good food and ice cream together." Ahead of the Tokyo championships starting on September 13, Kitaguchi's form is a great unknown — she is ranked sixth worldwide this season with a best of 64.63 m. She will compete at the Diamond League in Lausanne and Zurich in August and then fine-tune her form in Turkey before leaving for Tokyo. Sekerak said she was safer in Domazlice than in Japan where she has become the face of the championships, featuring on billboards across the country. "It's crazy," Kitaguchi chuckled, waving aside her celebrity status. "I hope I can show the best (in Tokyo) with people cheering (for) me and it's going to be a great memory for me. I'm really looking forward to it."
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
The great sports drink debate: What's best for athletes?
Once upon a time in Japan, the top choice for hydrating electrolyte drinks came down to just two: Pocari Sweat or Aquarius. Both Pocari Sweat and Aquarius, also known by their shortened names Pocari and Aquari, can trace their origins back to the 1980s. More than 40 years later, they maintain their dominance in the Japanese sports drink market, now joined by smaller players like Green Dakara and Loves Sports. Pocari contains a balance of electrolytes intended to replicate the concentration found in the body and it is a common way for people to hydrate when sick or hungover. Aquarius, which is fortified with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and citric acid, is sold as an exercise enhancement drink. When it comes to the classic debate of Pocari versus Aquari, fans on both sides have strong opinions about which sports drink reigns supreme. Sho Nakano, an influencer who posts about diet and nutrition, thinks neither is better than the other, noting that they each have their own strengths. 'Pocari Sweat has more sugar, salt and calories than Aquarius, and it's ideal when you're feeling low on energy, like if you have a cold or a hangover. Aquarius contains ingredients that Pocari doesn't have like three essential amino acids and citric acid, and it's effective for mid- and post-workout fatigue recovery,' he said in a video he shared to X that got 1.6 million views. Sports drinks have become a staple in vending machines and on the shelves of almost every supermarket, drug store and convenience store in the country. Consumers in Japan guzzle more than ¥350 billion in sports drinks every year, according to the Japan Soft Drink Association. The equation is simple: the hotter the weather, the more sports drinks people consume. Research commissioned by the Japan Meteorological Agency in 2015 found that sports drink sales in Tokyo jump when the day's average temperature hits 25 degrees Celsius. This year, as climate change fuels more extreme heat waves, Tokyo had already reached that number by mid-June. Sports drinks are seen for sale in a vending machine near Tokyo. | JOHAN BROOKS For elite athletes, drinks of choice run the gamut from the ordinary to the unconventional. Many choose to stay hydrated with good, old-fashioned water —Cristiano Ronaldo prefers his own brand, Ursu — while chocolate milk is a favorite among some athletes. Then there are less traditional options like beetroot juice, coconut water, cactus water and green tea, which are relatively new to the sports scene but have their share of devotees. San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish revealed that he drinks grapefruit juice to replenish lost glycogen after a workout. A few years ago, he shared a recipe on social media for a refreshing hydrating drink: 1 part water, 1 part pure grapefruit juice and a pinch of salt, telling fans that drinking at shorter intervals is an effective way to prevent heatstroke. Others, most notably endurance athletes such as long-distance runners and road cyclists, are known to use carbonated and caffeinated beverages for performance enhancement during races or training. American Frank Shorter swore by de-fizzed Coke, drinking it on his way to winning the 1972 Olympic marathon. Two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack went so far as to call it 'the best sports drink in the world' in one of his interviews. Two clubhouse assistants mix a cooler of Gatorade in the visitors' dugout before the game between the Dodgers and the Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. | USA TODAY SPORTS Plenty of athletes are using Coke as a sports drink and reporting that it works, but Mikiko Matsuoka, a sports dietician who works for food service provider Aim Services, says there's no scientific evidence proving that soda provides a competitive edge. While Matsuoka concedes that there's no such thing as the perfect sports drink, she says drinking too much water can dilute sodium in the body and lead to hyponatremia, a medical condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood. Traditional sports drinks, she says, can be beneficial for athletes when used properly. 'The best choice depends on exercise duration and intensity, as well as weather conditions and sweat rate,' Matsuoka said. 'The most effective rehydration solutions are said to contain a salt concentration between 0.1% to 0.2% and a sugar content that ranges from 3% to 8%, which is what commercial sports drinks have.' A 500-milliliter bottle of Pocari Sweat contains about 30 grams of sugar, roughly equivalent to seven teaspoons. The World Health Organization recommends a daily limit of about 25 grams of added sugar for adults of normal weight. The Japan Sport Association recommends the use of sports drinks for individuals when they are exercising in intense heat and humidity or for longer than 60 minutes, but many health professionals also caution against overuse. Matsuoka sees no harm in drinking electrolyte-enhanced beverages to help replenish water and energy lost during exercise, especially during prolonged physical activity. She does, however, warn that they contain a lot of sugar, which isn't necessary or recommended for people who are less active. 'Sports drinks aren't for everyday hydration and average exercisers,' she said. 'Consuming too much sugar can lead to serious health problems. Caution is advised.'
