The agreement between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing was made official during the Italian night, but the first contacts were initiated at the beginning of 2024. Haas wanted to escape from anonymity, from the difficulties that had tied it to the last places in the Manufacturers’ classification Formula 1. Toyota, out of F1 for several years, instead needed know-how on the current single-seaters.
Thus, in a few months the two realities met and set up a project that will have benefits for both. A fair exchange that will have to lead Haas to be stronger on the track, while Toyota to know what it doesn’t know due to its absence from the world championship Circus.
Following the announcement, Haas team principal – Ayao Komatsu – held a press conference in which he further explained the terms of the agreement between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing.
“As you all know, we are the smallest team in Formula 1 and we lack certain structures that can make us understand certain things from a technical point of view. This obviously also involves the lack of physical resources to be more competitive in the middle of the pack. And that’s what we’re looking for with this agreement. We were looking for someone who could give us more resources that we can use to be more competitive. Toyota Gazoo Racing gives us exactly this.”
“Toyota has a large base in Cologne and we will be able to use it. We will also be able to do various simulator activities and other activities thanks to their facilities. Toyota, on the other hand, will receive different F1 know-how that it has been looking for for some time.”
“Also, we don’t have the number of people that Toyota has. It will be an exchange of information, so we can fill the gap where we are most lacking by learning from each other. It’s kind of a perfect combination to make sure that both we and Toyota will have a return, both of us will benefit.”
Komatsu also wanted to clarify that the agreement with Toyota will not replace the one with Ferrari. The Prancing Horse will continue to supply the American team with engines and gearboxes, but also hours in the wind tunnel. The agreement with Toyota, however, will deal with everything that the one with Ferrari does not include.
“We will continue to use the Maranello wind tunnel and we will not make our own changes. We will continue to buy it from Ferrari. The agreement with Toyota will not replace the one with Ferrari. Our bond with Ferrari is a fundamental basis for us, and what they give us is fabulous. Toyota Gazoo Racing will help us grow in the areas that are not affected in the agreement with Ferrari.”
Haas tying-up with Toyota Gazoo Racing
Photo credit: Motorsport.com Japan
“We have been completely transparent with Ferrari since the beginning of the discussions with Toyota. We are all very clear about the areas where Ferrari and Toyota will operate. And each other’s intellectual properties will remain protected by us.”
Another fundamental aspect is the link between Haas and Dallara. This too, like the one with Ferrari, will continue without any problem. Toyota will coexist with Ferrari and Dallara and, in fact, the next Haas single-seaters will be a concentration of technology and solutions deriving from the two Italian manufacturers and that of the Japanese giant.
“Dallara is a very important partner for us. They have been with us since day one in Formula 1 making the chassis. So for us it is another key partnership, very important. We discussed what each other will do. the other House, they will coexist. One will not replace the other.”
“The design office will remain in Maranello, because we will continue to buy the engine, gearbox and suspension from Ferrari. We will continue to use their wind tunnel, so our aerodynamics will be based on that. But to make some carbon components, do some tests, simulate our work and do other things that will help the performance of our car, we will work with Toyota.”
Thanks to the new agreement with Toyota Gazoo Racing, Haas will be able to have a simulator to use at its headquarters in Banbury, England. The timing for its arrival has not yet been defined, but Komatsu explained how Haas will use the Ferrari one, in Maranello, and how, instead, the one supplied by Toyota will be used.
“We have never had a simulator on site in Banbury. The only simulator we had access to was the Ferrari one in Maranello. And then yes, we used it, but just not in rage conditions, so to speak We use it for the pre-season, during the season what we can do in the Maranello simulator is quite limited. Furthermore, if we go back to what I said before in terms of personnel and resources, we have a very limited number of personnel track engineers – we have what you see on the trackside and there aren’t many people behind it.”
Haas tying-up with Toyota Gazoo Racing
Photo credit: Motorsport.com Japan
“So if you have to do a simulation session in Italy, I can’t ask my guys from the UK to come back from those 24 races and then spend another, I don’t know, 10 weeks in Italy doing simulation sessions. So, this location problem prevented us from doing anything more, at the same time, the Maranello simulator is obviously a very, very good simulator. So, we will continue to use it the way we are using it for correlation and development in the wind tunnel, so we will continue to use it in this way in terms of working with the pilots, in terms of teamwork, another advantage of a similar system is teamwork.”
“It’s not necessarily about talking about how we’re going to approach this weekend in terms of set-up etc. Yes, that’s all part of the job, but the most important part is the team work – for the drivers, the race engineers, the performance engineers. Which is, of course, the key when there are new drivers. I’m not saying we’ll get our new simulator up and running at Banbury early next year, that’s not going to happen that we have signed the contract with TGR and then we will make an announcement.”
“But, again, these programs are complementary to each other. In particular, one of our drivers next year, Ollie Bearman, is a Ferrari driver and drove the Maranello simulator for aerodynamic development. So, to keep some consistency, Ollie will continue to do what he’s doing, but Ollie will also drive the simulator in Banbury And, of course, Esteban will drive the simulator in Banbury once it’s up and running It adds value. As you can see, it doesn’t take away from what we do in Maranello, but it also does it in Banbury. It adds value to what we are already doing and brings a new dimension.”
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