Ayao Komatsu, team principal of Haas, has expressed optimism about the progress in negotiations with new sponsors, aiming to increase the team’s annual budget for the 2027 season.
Haas, the smallest team in Formula 1, operates with just over 400 employees and has been functioning below the budget limit in its two phases. It currently has a sponsorship agreement with Toyota’s Gazoo Racing department, which has replaced the previous partner, MoneyGram.
Negotiations with new partners
Rumors indicate that Haas is in talks with BWT, current sponsor of Alpine, which will be moving to their team starting in 2027. This situation arises after Alpine formed a new partnership with fashion brand Gucci. This is not the first time Haas has been linked with BWT, as the Austrian company was considered after it ended its contract with Aston Martin.
Expectations for the future
At the beginning of the year, Komatsu had expressed that the lack of budget was limiting the team’s expansion in terms of personnel and infrastructure improvements. During the race weekend at Madring, he confirmed that the team was in discussions with several possibilities to increase the budget and approach the limit of 215 million dollars.
“We are talking to many prospects; the situation is positive for next year’s budget,” said Komatsu. “It’s a big step forward. We are working to make our situation visible and attract talent.”
Driver rumors and future choices
Regarding driver selection, Komatsu has ruled out that commercial factors could influence decisions. Potential drivers like Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Rafael Camara are in testing, and the team plans to select its drivers for 2027 based on performance.
Komatsu emphasized that he wants two fast drivers, regardless of their subsidiary, to maximize the team’s performance. “The important thing is to choose the best available drivers, it doesn’t matter if they are from Ferrari, Toyota, or McLaren,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
