Toyota will return to Formula 1 in a technical partnership with the Haas team in the first step of what could become a renewed works presence in the sport.
It’s the first time the Japanese auto giant will be involved in the pinnacle of motorsport since it withdrew from grand prix racing at the end of 2009 under cover of the global financial crisis.
The multiyear agreement will see Toyota contribute “design, technical and manufacturing services” in exchange for Haas’s “technical expertise and commercial benefits”.
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The American team will continue to use Ferrari power units until at least the end of 2028, having extended its long-running deal with Maranello in July.
Haas principal Ayao Komatsu said Ferrari has assented to the new technical agreement, with Formula 1 also offering its support for the deal.
“To have a world leader in the automotive sector support and work alongside our organisation while seeking to develop and accelerate their own technical and engineering expertise – it’s simply a partnership with obvious benefits on both sides,” he said.
“The ability to tap into the resources and knowledge base available at Toyota Gazoo Racing while benefiting from their technical and manufacturing processes will be instrumental in our own development and our clear desire to further increase our competitiveness in Formula 1.
“In return we offer a platform for Toyota Gazoo Racing to fully utilize and subsequently advance their in-house engineering capabilities.”
Toyota revealed that the agreement would include its personnel contributing directly to Haas’s Formula 1 efforts, including its development drivers getting access to seat time in F1 machinery.
“Specifically, the agreement entails the participation in Haas test drives by TGR training drivers, engineers and mechanics,” it said in a statement.
“This will enable the drivers to gain driving experience in F1, and it will allow the engineers and mechanics to learn how to analyse vast amounts of data, such as driving data.
“The agreement also entails the participation of TGR engineers and mechanics in Haas racing car aerodynamics development to cultivate human resources — by having participants design and manufacture carbon-fibre parts in simulated extreme operational environments — who can play active roles on the front lines of the pinnacle of motorsports and reflect the technology and knowledge acquired in production vehicles.
“Sharing a desire to contribute to motorsports and the automotive industry through human resource development, TGR and Haas intend to continue their initiatives for strengthening their racing teams.”
The deal is a big win for Komatsu, who took control of the team from former principal Guenther Steiner at the start of the year and has overseen its return to the midfield after finishing last on the title table in two of the last three seasons.
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A strong technical relationship with Toyota offers Haas a huge competitive boost after nine years competing near the back of the grid.
The American team arrived in Formula 1 in 2016 with a unique customer model, whereby it bought as much as it legally could from Ferrari and relied on Italian manufacturing company Dallara to build its car and develop its aerodynamics, effectively leaving itself to run the race team.
The model reduced expenses as much as possible at a time the cost of competition was spiralling out of control. In just its third year it was up to fifth in the constructors standings behind only F1 giants Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Renault.
But the Haas structure has become decreasingly viable since the pandemic thanks to the implementation of cost controls and boosted team profitability from the sport’s booming popularity.
Haas’s growth was subsequently stunted by its near-death experience during the pandemic — during which time it sought financial refuge with pay driver Nikita Mazepin and title sponsorship from his father’s Uralkali company, both of which were discontinued following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which has since limited its competitive ceiling.
Its new technical partnership with Toyota allows it to begin raising that limit again by fast-tracking its growth and gradually shuffling away from its customer model.
First, it will considerably upsize what is currently Formula 1’s smallest team by instantly boosting its infrastructure and access to personnel without the need for massive capital expenditure.
Doing so without outside assistance would be a long and expensive process. Aston Martin, for example, has had to laboriously rebuild its factory and poach staff from rival teams, with capital expenditure limited by the budget cap and staff transfers often coming with lengthy periods of gardening leave.
Haas, however, will benefit immediately from Toyota’s already considerable presence in Europe, with its Cologne base — from where it entered Formula 1 2002–09 — the headquarters of its successful World Endurance Championship team.
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Being able to lean on Toyota personnel for vehicle development will also reduce the urgency for a Haas hiring spree.
Second, the deal leaves scope for Toyota to gradually take greater control over the development of the Haas car.
Whereas currently Haas fields a car that combines parts designed by Ferrari and Dallara — that is, all externally — Toyota will allow the team to gradually take on a greater in-house workload, boosting efficiency and responsiveness.
Haas has struggled in recent season in particular to bring updates to the car effectively. Notably last year it brought just one major update — to the United States Grand Prix — but it was so unconvincing that by the end of the season it was back to running effectively its launch-spec car.
While this year’s development program has been a marked improvement, with a steady stream of upgrades keeping the car in the battle for sixth in the championship, there is still more room to improve. That’s particularly true as other midfield teams — including Williams and Sauber/Audi behind it — embark on massive expansion plans.
For Toyota the appeal of such a relationship is clear, giving its engineers — and its brand — access to Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport and a considerable post-pandemic commercial success story.
It’s as close as Toyota can get to re-entering the sport, reaping all the associated benefits, without having to start its own team or buy an existing one.
And if the partnership succeeds, there will surely be a chance Toyota considers a power unit program for 2029, by which time Haas’s Ferrari contract will be up for renewal, turning Formula 1’s smallest team into the de facto works outfit of one of the world’s biggest auto manufacturers.