The lull in F1 world was broken on Friday after the announcement from Haas about its technical partnership with Toyota, who are returning but not returning as well.
The last time F1 saw Toyota in any capacity was back in 2009 when it decided to pull the plug from 2010 onward. There were talks for Zoran Stefanovic to take the old chassis from the Japanese manufacturer, but the FIA and FOM rejected its bid to enter the competition.
While Honda and Toyota pulled the plug together during automotive crisis, the former eventually made it return as power unit supplier. The latter kept its focus on endurance racing and customer programme until now, when chairman Akio Toyoda decided to make a return albeit in a different capacity.
They have no plans to form a F1 team and nor head a power unit programme. The whole exercise with Haas is about development and mutual benefit, aimed especially at personnel growth and testing programme. The discussions started on a low note earlier in the year.
The more they discussed, the idea of forging a relationship kicked-in and eventually they decided to go ahead with the technical partnership. Ayao Komatsu insists that Toyota is not a replacement for either Ferrari and or Dallara, and that they are to co-exist in the time to come.
In fact, Komatsu kept Frederic Vasseur in loop of the things Haas was planning to do with Toyota. The Japanese also had F1 boss Stefano Domencali on call for advice. Despite the comeback, the Japanese manufacturer doesn’t wish to focus and term this as a return, it is more people-driven than anything.
Here’s what Toyota and Haas said about the deal –
Akio Toyoda: “Although I’m not a professional racing driver, I’m surrounded by numerous professional racers who don’t mind driving with me. Recently among them are both drivers who grew up with Honda and racing drivers who have long been with Toyota. There’s something I sense when talking to professional racing drivers. It’s that everyone wants to drive the world’s fastest cars. I think that’s the way drivers are. That said, I’m the person who quit F1. So I think that drivers were never able to frankly talk about it in front of me. It was like there was always this inhibiting atmosphere in our pit. In January this year, I said in front of everyone that I had finally gotten back to being an ordinary older guy who loves cars. I think that, somewhere deep in his heart, that ordinary older car-loving guy Akio Toyoda had always regretted having blocked―by pulling out of F1―Japanese youths’ path toward driving the world’s fastest cars. That said, with the media watching my every step, I dare to add that I still believe my decision as the president of Toyota to withdraw from F1 was not wrong. Not very long ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Team Principal Komatsu. Mr. Komatsu himself is someone who has carved out big dreams. But behind him was his father, who always allowed him to freely chase those dreams.
“Both Mr. Komatsu and I have come to share the same desire to be a “father” who allows his children to chase their dreams. Mr. Komatsu, I owe you my thanks. The Super Formula drivers over there now, both the Toyota and the Honda drivers, all grew up as kids driving karts. I believe there are many children all over the country who, admiring them, also drive karts. I think that, together with Mr. Komatsu and his team, we need to increase the number of such children. But before that, I would like to see the day when a Super Formula driver grips the steering wheels of the world’s fastest cars. Mr. Komatsu, as well as to all the members of Hass, I look forward to working with you for the sake of the Japanese motorsports world. And….to the media! Please make sure that tomorrow’s headlines don’t read: “Toyota Finally Returns to F1”. Rather, it would be great to see headlines and articles that inspire Japanese children to dream of the possibility that they, too, could one day drive the world’s fastest cars. These are Akio Toyoda’s thoughts and his request for today. I ask you all to please consider them favorably. Thank you very much.”
Tomoya Takahashi: “Some might jump to the conclusion: ‘Toyota is back in F1!’ But that’s not the case. Well, what do you think? This MoneyGram Haas F1 Team racing car sports the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing logo. We, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, and the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team have agreed to a technical partnership concerning the cultivation of young drivers and others and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team vehicle development. Why are we entering into this technical partnership? Let me explain. TGR has been implementing “driver-first” carmaking, as strongly advocated by Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo, in which we repeatedly break and fix cars in the arena of motorsports, and incorporate feedback from professional drivers into the development of production vehicles. This is where the three elements of people, pipeline, and product become important. “People”, in this case, refers to the development of drivers, engineers, and mechanics. “Pipeline” refers to data analysis and utilization. And “product” refers to vehicle development. Through this technical partnership,we aim to further strengthen people and learn the pipeline, which is one of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s strengths in F1, and apply it to product development. Of the three elements beginning with the letter “P”, please let me explain more about “people” and “pipeline”. I’ll start with “people”.
“As you all know, F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports. The active roles of F1 drivers, engineers, and mechanics can provide children with dreams, aspirations, and goals. For TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, it is extremely important to demonstrate such hope to the children who will be responsible for the automotive industry of the future. To this end, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, together with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, has decided to establish a new driver development program to cultivate drivers who aim for the pinnacle of motorsports. Specifically, TGR training drivers will participate in MoneyGram Haas F1 Team test drives to gain experience in driving in F1. Through this partnership, we believe it would be fantastic if we could develop drivers who can secure regular seats in F1 in the future. And it will not only be drivers taking on challenges this time. TGR engineers and mechanics will also join MoneyGram Haas F1 Team at the motorsports pinnacle of F1. Specifically, they will participate in F1 racing car aerodynamics development by utilizing TGR’s monozukuri (manufacturing) capabilities, which MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has highly evaluated, and design and manufacture carbon-fiber parts in simulated extreme operational environments.
“Next, I’d like to talk about the pipeline. Through this partnership, TGR aims to learn MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s strength of data utilization, such as the know-how for sharing the vast amount of data collected during races with various locations around the world, immediately analyzing it, and promptly utilizing it in a race’s strategic planning. So far, I have only talked about strengthening people and the pipeline, which involves skills and knowledge that can only be cultivated by competing alongside MoneyGram Haas F1 Team at the pinnacle of motorsports. I believe that this will lead to the element of product, in other words to the development of human resources who can provide feedback for production vehicles.”
Ayao Komatsu: “This morning we announced our technical partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing. As all of you know we are the smallest team on the grid and then we lack in certain resources and hardware capability to understand certain things and then in terms of being more competitive in the midfield, we are looking for let’s say somebody who can give us more resource and that horsepower and also have the hardware and know how to use that hardware and then Toyota Gazoo Racing gives exactly that as some of you might know. They have a great facility in Cologne, so we’ll be utilizing that also. We’ll be able to kick off some activities such as simulator and TPC with this collaboration and then our mutual benefit is that they are looking for, let’s say latest F1 know-how, like skill set which we have but we don’t have their facilities, we don’t have the number of people their resource. So that’s how we are tapping into each other’s expertise and then learning in the areas that we are weak relative to each other.
“It’s really a sort of like perfect combination to have the mutual benefit and then the conversation started pretty early this year with Kaji-san and again before we go into the sort of like technical details, it’s really you know more and more we spoke with Kaji-san we spoke together we understand what we are looking for is exactly the same and in terms of like a personal trust and respect, it was there. So for me any future partnership especially something as a bigger scale as this one really needs to be built on a clear trust and respect which I feel I’ve got the 100% with Kaji-san and then before again we met we gave 100% green light. I met with Akio-san, the chairman of Toyota, and then again that was a great conversation. It was honestly as if we knew each other for like 10 years. We see things lot of in the same ways, we’re putting human being people at the centerpiece, like in Formula One, it’s a high technology sport but it’s really what matters is people and personnel, so we both would like to educate try and develop our personnel in the Formula One environment, that to be a mutual benefit to each other. So lots of, like let’s say, objectives approach that is coherent in each other’s organization, so then that’s why that was the key in deciding to go for this technical partnership.”
More in detail about all with Komatsu and Masaya Kaji –
How the deal came about –
Komatsu: “The answer is yes and no. Yes, it took reasonable amount of time but we already always had this date 11th October as our announcement date and then in terms of like, the talks finalising the order agreement, etc, to be honest, it was relatively straightforward. We’ve been working with Ferrari since Day 1, so we understand each other very well and also, I’ve been talking with Fred from the very early stages about this idea of the collaboration, because like I said, Ferrari-Haas relationship is the foundation. So I went in with complete mindset that they need to really understand that if there’s any, let’s say, if they feel any threat that this Toyota-Haas alliance will be a threat to them, that’s not going to work. So I made sure that, that is not the case and then through Kaji-san, Toyota was totally on board and clear from Day 1, I think, honestly the key is being transparent and clear in terms of engagement in terms of perimeter from Day 1, so that all parties are informed and then, of course, Ferrari send a certain requirement….not requirement but let’s say, yeah I could say requirement, certain bread points where I had to guarantee them, ‘look we’re continuing this and this and this’, but again that’s what we were going to do anyway. So it was pretty straightforward really, so very collaborative from all sides.”
Kaji: “Another team? Yeah, actually now we have a relationship with McLaren, with Ryo Hirakawa. Of course, we have some connections with other teams, but actually Haas and Komatsu-san are the best partners because our scope is exactly the same and we can strengthen the team together. So, yeah, our strong point and weak point still fit perfectly. So, yeah, we found a good answer to collaborate with Haas and Komatsu-san. Yeah, actually, we started this kind of collaboration at the beginning of this year, after Hirakawa’s deal and I had a contact with Komatsu-san at the beginning of this season, so almost half a year.
“So, actually, we have no plan to have a team of Formula One. At this moment, we have a best choice, best option to collaborate with Haas. So the trigger was from our top management, Akio Toyoda, called Morizo-san. Morizo-san is his driver’s name and he’s always thinking about the driver. I had a communication with Akio-san at the beginning of this year and he would like to find a way for our drivers and engineers and mechanics to enter the top category for good learning and developing people. So, after this communication, I started the communication with some teams, including Haas, and yeah, as I said, Haas was the best partner.”
Gene Haas, Stefano Domenicali, title sponsor –
Komatsu: “Honestly, it’s a no-brainer, really, especially if you look at the current regulation, financial regulation, the current landscape of the sport. Even if we wanted a partner, somebody like this, you can’t find it. So when I started talking with Kaji-san, again, to start off, it was, let’s say, just an idea. But then more and more we talked and understand each other, each other’s objectives, approach, thoughts, strengths and weakness. Honestly, it’s a perfect match. So it wasn’t a difficult sell to Gene, really, at all. Under the budget cap area, you’ve got to be cost-efficient. And of course, to be competitive, you’ve got to be time-efficient. Again, all of these, with our current model, there’s a limit to what we can improve on that. We have improved some areas in this area, but unless we take some other aspects of engineering, essentially in-house, which normally requires a huge investment and big lead time, you cannot make a bigger step in terms of efficiency, both time and cost.
“Then with this partnership with TGR, we can make that leap very quickly. So it’s a no-brainer. And then it wasn’t difficult to convince Gene. Gene’s very, very engaged with the F1 team. And then he’s always asking me, what do we need to do next stage to be better, to be the top six, top five consistently, to have a chance to have a podium at some point? What do we need to do? So no, it was not difficult to convince Gene. As for Stefano, yeah, obviously Toyota coming into Formula One as a technical partner is big news, right? So then I have a good relationship with Stefano and I seek advice from Stefano on many topics, actually. But for something as big as this, I wanted to speak with Stefano just to get his advice. He’s been very, very supportive, so that’s why I just wanted to specifically mention Stefano. At the moment, no [Toyota is not to be our title sponsor]. Our title sponsor is MoneyGram, so nothing’s going to change in terms of that title sponsor and then team name for the foreseeable future.
“But yeah, of course, we have a certain point in a certain year to, let’s say, reopen that kind of talk with the sponsor. So we’ll come across that bridge when that comes. But for the foreseeable future, there’s no change in the title partnership. Again, I’d like to refer to Kaji-san, but I just, again, want to clarify that Toyota stroke TGR’s interest is not a sponsorship. The main thing is to really develop personnel, which is great, which is my philosophy as well in the Haas F1 team. Like I said earlier, it is a high technology sport, but at the end of the day, it’s the human being making it happen, making absolute disaster, making a successful team. So it’s really, we’re thinking in the same way. So they are investing in this to provide opportunity for their people, whether it’s mechanical engineers or drivers, to provide that environment so that they can be trained, that they can develop. And then as a company, they will benefit.”
Gearbox, Ferrari, Dallara –
Komatsu: “We’re going to continue to use the Maranello wind tunnel and then our own gearbox now, that’s not what we are thinking either. So again, of course, as long as the technical regulation permits, to buy the gearbox from Ferrari, so our partnership with Toyota is not – just to be clear – it’s not to replace Ferrari partnership. The Ferrari-Haas partnership is the foundation and it’s always going to be the foundation and this partnership is not to take away from it but actually enhance that fundamental partnership with Ferrari. So what we have with Ferrari, what we get from Ferrari, is amazing, that’s really the foundation of the Haas F1 team but the areas Toyota TGR can help us is outside of that, so again we’ve been completely transparent with Ferrari management, of course, from the early stage of this discussion. So, we both have a clear understanding of what engagement we have in which area with TGR, how we need to protect IPs of the each companies, so yeah that’s how we are planning to do it.
“Again Dallara is our important partner. They’ve been with us from Day 1. As you know, they’ve been building our chassis from Day 1, so that’s another key important relationship and then again in the course we’ve been discussing which parameters we’ll keep working with Dallara, which parameters we’re going to work with Toyota. But we will co-exist, it’s not to replace one another and then in terms of our design office, of course, we keep the Maranello design office because again nothing changes the fact that we are going to be buying a gearbox and suspension from Ferrari, so to that extent it makes sense to have our TO in Maranello and also, like I said, we continue to use Ferrari wind tunnel. So our aerodynamicist will continue to be based there but for instance we will start designing some other carbon composite parts by ourselves and then also start doing some testing and then simulator work, some other areas that’s for the to contribute for the performance of the car, where we house them exactly, whether it’s in Maranello or UK, is something we need to define in the future. But again I just like to stress that it’s not to replace what we have with Ferrari.”
Budget cap, PU –
Komatsu: “I don’t think it’s going to be very complicated. The mechanism isn’t very different from what we do with Ferrari and Dallara. We buy components from Ferrari, we buy components from Dallara, for instance, if you buy a front wing from Dallara, there’ll be a price in the same way that ‘okay this is done with a sponsorship’, but let’s say, if we ask Toyota to make up or TGR to make a front wing, there will be a exchange in terms of PO, so we will be paying for the front wing but that will come out of this sponsorship money, whereas making front wing from a Dallara, Mr. Haas needs to pay right, so the source of money is different but the mechanism itself really is fundamentally the same. So, I don’t think that we are very complicated. Regarding power unit, so as you all know, we signed with Ferrari until end of 2028 in terms of a technical partnership, PU supply, gearbox supply, etc, so fundamentally nothing is going to change, as far as I’m concerned. This partnership’s got nothing to do with PU side, it’s purely on the chassis side, in terms of a technical alliance.”
Kaji: “So regarding the power unit, unfortunately we have no plan to enter power supply at this moment.”
Small, long-term scene –
Komatsu: “It is actually a long-term partnership this one, this is not a short-term thing and a certain project we picked to start off with the kickoff is because it’s so obvious what area we are lacking, what area we haven’t got the capability, what area TGR has already got capability. So we obviously are picking up the project that is, let’s say, has the biggest impact and the need straight away but I think throughout this partnership, we understand each other more and more, then there will be many areas we can work together and then TGR can help us be a more competitive Formula One team, so it’s really a team’s requirement basis if you like to make us more competitive as a F1 team to move up more towards the front of the grid. I think in terms of actually seeing the benefit or feeling the benefit, it’s not going to be immediate like any partnership, we need to understand each other and then we need to try a few things, even like a carbon composite manufacturing, we need to do certain trials to understand how long is it going to take, what kind of quality information exchange, as I said, we need to learn about each other, that’s only natural and then if you go simulate a project like that, of course, it’s a clear timeline, in terms of installation for instance.
“Then, once you install it, of course, in terms of our correlation, it takes some time. So, I’m not dreaming that it’s going to suddenly make us a step straight away, that’s not going to happen but what it’s going to happen is, it is suddenly much quicker even if we can do it by ourselves, if we had money, it’s certainly much quicker to do it through this technical collaboration because they’ve already got that know-how, they already got that people for, if we have to recruit people, it takes best part of the year right, so even if we found the hardware, just, I’m using this as an example, because it’s quite a good example, we can get maybe hardware in like I don’t know a few months to six months time, but we’re still recruiting people, then get them to train the environment, etc, and then understand the hardware whereas all that is already available and they’re already running simulator in multiple locations.
“So it’s…I was looking for in a way to speed up saying, ‘how can we take this team forward in the shortest possible time and then once we started talking with Kaji-san and TGR, it’s just what they’re looking for, what we’re looking for, it was really mutually beneficial, so that’s our envisaged work but like everything, it’s going to take time and also any organization, if you wanted to move too quickly, it’s going to completely disintegrate. So, we cannot be rushing things too much, although it’s a race, it’s Formula One, so we’re going to do things as quickly as possible but there’s a fine balance so we need to do it correctly.”
Did Esteban Ocon know –
Komatsu: “No, not specifically. I did say to him, we have a development plan to take this team forward and make a reasonable step change, if you like. But the point where I was trying to finalise Esteban’s contract, which was around the Austria time, it was too early for me to guarantee anything to Esteban. I never wanted to tell Esteban that something I cannot guarantee and then he signs on the understanding and then I cannot tell Esteban three months later, sorry mate, I couldn’t put it off, this didn’t happen. So he came, he signed with the understanding that there’s a vision to take this team forward and without being specific about this technical partnership, I told him how we are planning to develop the team and then he was very much on board with the idea.”
Here’s Haas and Toyota announcing their deal
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Here’s latest on Haas losing out to Guenther Steiner
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