Haas F1 team and Toyota Gazoo Racing form a new technical partnership

This new partnership will see Toyota providing design, technical and manufacturing services in return for commercial benefits and technical expertise, with the goal of advancing the rate of development within the Haas team.

Toyota’s return to Formula 1 involvement comes following a 15-year hiatus after the brand left the sport in the wake of the global financial crisis. It has since attained success in the World Endurance Championship and World Rally Championship.

As part of this technical partnership, engineers and mechanics from Toyota will be phased into aerodynamic development work to provide them with valuable experience in a high-pressure sporting environment. It’s also hoped it will open a new gateway for Japanese drivers to make their way to F1.

Toyota will join as an addition to the long-term partnership between Haas and Ferrari, which will remain in place. The team will continue to make use of Ferrari powertrains, as well as suspension and gearbox components, and Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed Haas will continue to make use of the Ferrari wind tunnel.

The two companies will however work independently of each other in order to retain protection of their individual intellectual properties.

Haas is also currently in partnership with Dallara, the company that has built the team’s chassis since its debut season in 2016, but the future of that particular deal is yet to be fully finalised.

Komatsu said: “To have a world leader in the automotive sector support and work alongside our organisation, while seeking to develop and accelerate their own technical and engineering expertise – it’s simply a partnership with obvious benefits on both sides.

“The ability to tap into the resources and knowledge base available at Toyota Gazoo Racing, while benefiting from their technical and manufacturing processes, will be instrumental in our own development and our clear desire to further increase our competitiveness in F1.

“I’m naturally pleased that we’ve had the support of the likes of F1 and our long-term partner, Scuderia Ferrari – who we announced our further continuation with earlier in the season, in the formation of this new technical partnership – designed to achieve continued success in our F1 endeavours.”

Article image courtesy of Motorsport Images.