Haas and Toyota are keen to start their inspiring technical partnership.

Last Friday, Haas announced that they will be teaming up with Toyota, but not in the way you think. Instead of being an official licensing partner for the American outfit – for example supplying their engines or taking their naming rights – they have agreed to what’s called a ‘technical partnership’. Besides that, it’s also not exactly Toyota they're partnering with, but their motorsport arm Toyota Gazoo Racing, who are entered in several racing categories such as WRC and WEC as works teams. 

After a 15-year long hiatus from F1, Toyota have made their comeback to provide technical and engineering services to the team currently sitting P7 in the constructors’ championship. While it may be looking to be the team’s second-best ever finish in the nine years of their short history, they will need to evolve the team to a consistent midfield contender in the most effective and cost efficient manner.

During a video call after the official press conference at Fuji International Speedway this past Friday, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu admitted that “the team is lacking the extensive resources it needs to fully understand the machine they’re producing”. And so, they’ve struck a deal with the Japanese manufacturer to get assistance for their technical necessities.

This is not a one-sided deal of course, as Komatsu also stated that “this partnership provides obvious benefits for both parties”. While Toyota will be providing top tier technical knowledge for Haas, the F1 team will provide commercial and marketing boosts as well as personnel training for Toyota’s local factory workers and other employees, simultaneously expanding F1’s diversity pool for Japanese people.

However, the former works team made it clear that this partnership is not a sign for them to make their full fledged comeback. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda sounded in his statement, “Please make sure that tomorrow’s headlines don’t read: ‘Toyota Finally Returns To F1’.”. But, the door is certainly open for Toyota to replace MoneyGram as the title sponsor for Haas, or maybe completely taking over the team, as well as starting back their very own to make it 11 teams on the grid once again.

This newly formed relationship will also not impact Haas’ current bond with their engine and part supplier, Ferrari. Although the American-Japanese collaboration might give off the idea that the latter will soon supply parts and eventually transform Haas to Toyota’s works team, Komatsu has stressed that it changes nothing. From the start of their existence, Haas have directly taken upgrades that are produced and given to Ferrari straight from their home base in Maranello. Haas also use the Italian team’s wind tunnel, as well as their state-of-the-art race simulator.

Due to the vast difference in locations for both teams however, the younger outfit have been unable to utilize the facilities fruitfully. As part of their technical partnership, Haas plan to build their own race simulator at their operations base in Banbury, England. “Without this partnership, it’s difficult for us to have a sim programme. TGR has the expertise [and experience] in sim both for themselves and as a customer project, so they have hardware and skills in all aspects of sim operation,” Komatsu added.

It also doesn’t take away anything from Haas’ chassis manufacturer, Dallara, who also operate in Italy. “Dallara is an important partner and in due course, we will discuss within which parameters [we] will work with Dallara and Toyota, but we will co-exist,” said Komatsu.

This bombshell of news has certainly caused lots of talks and interest from the whole paddock and of motorsports, but it will be a long and gradual process until this partnership pays off, with effects of Toyota’s help potentially appearing as early as 2025. As the new technical regulations loom, it will be interesting to find out how much Toyota’s expertise have assisted Haas to becoming a household name in the fastest sport in the world.