Toyota is returning to Formula 1 with Haas
A partnership with Haas will see Toyota providing technical and manufacturing support for the F1 team, while gaining expertise to produce better road cars
Fifteen years after a somewhat unceremonious exit from the grid, Toyota is returning to Formula 1. Not as a manufacturer this time around, however, but as a technical partner for the Haas team, which will lean on the Japanese car maker for manufacturing and technical support in return for providing motorsport knowledge and expertise for use in production cars.
Toyota’s comeback is part of a multi-year agreement, and while it isn’t returning to the grid as a constructor, Gazoo Racing (Toyota’s motorsport arm) branding will be applied on the two Haas cars – driven by Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg – from next weekend’s US Grand Prix.
Competing alongside Haas will give Toyota access to the workings of the F1 team, with Gazoo Racing test drivers, engineers and mechanicals gaining expertise to apply to Toyota road cars. Toyota’s GR division has already leant on its motorsport experience to produce the GR Yaris, GR86 and GR Supra, and if Haas partnership allows it to further hone its road-going performance cars, that can only be good news for enthusiasts.
Gazoo Racing engineers will also take part in the Haas team’s aero development – a major performance driver in F1, of course – with this expertise being used in production car development.
In return, Haas hopes that manufacturing and technical support from Gazoo Racing will help it climb up the Formula 1 pecking order (it’s currently seventh in the constructors standings, on the heels of Red Bull’s sister team RB).
‘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,’ said Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu.
Aside from growing Gazoo Racing’s engineering capabilities, President of GR Tomoya Takahashi hopes that the partnership can also help prepare its young drivers for F1 seats through test days run by Haas. ‘Through this partnership, we believe it would be fantastic if we could develop drivers who can secure regular seats in F1 in the future,’ he said.
The Toyota-branded Haas car will make its first appearance when the US Grand Prix weekend kicks off on 18 October.
