Haas F1 Team has initiated talks with new sponsors with the aim of increasing its budget for the 2027 season and getting closer to the 215 million dollar cap set by Formula 1. The team director, Ayao Komatsu, has commented that these negotiations are progressing positively.
Currently, Haas employs just over 400 people and has remained below the budget limit in both of its iterations. It has a sponsorship deal with the Gazoo Racing department of Toyota, which has replaced MoneyGram, but the team is looking to expand its portfolio of sponsors.
Among the speculations, the possibility that Haas is in talks with BWT, the main sponsor of Alpine, stands out, as they are set to leave the French team to join Haas in 2027. This is not the first time BWT has been linked to Haas, as the company was also considered a potential sponsor in the past after its split from Aston Martin.
Komatsu has previously expressed that the lack of budget has limited the team’s growth in terms of personnel and infrastructure. Recently, during the Madrig weekend, he expressed optimism about the chances of achieving budget goals for the upcoming year: «We are talking to many potential sponsors; it’s going well. I am very positive about next year’s budget,» he said.
Regarding speculation about potential driver acquisitions, Komatsu reiterated that he will not seek future drivers to balance the budget and that the team will remain focused on finding the best drivers for 2027, based on their performance. Currently, Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Rafael Camara are testing with previous cars while the team explores options for the next season.
Komatsu has emphasized that they want to select fast drivers, regardless of their previous affiliations with other teams. «We need two fast drivers because it’s the best way to grow the team,» he stated, highlighting that their choice will mainly be based on performance. The director criticized the interference of commercial factors, as long as the performance of the drivers is nearly equivalent.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
