Toyota Clarifies Its Stance On Rejoining Formula 1 As Works Team

Saajan Jogia | Oct 11, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) lead the field into turn one during the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Through Toyota's technical partnership with the Haas F1 team, which was announced earlier today, there are now suggestions that the Japanese outfit is setting its foundation to enter Formula 1 as a works team in the future. Despite the speculation, Toyota has ruled out an F1 return. Instead, the new partnership aids the automaker in improving technology for another project.

Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) will offer design, technical, and manufacturing support to Haas, while Haas will share its technical insights and commercial advantages to enhance the partnership. Haas is focused on improving its performance and development in Formula 1, whereas TGR aims to deepen its expertise through collaboration and increased engagement with the team.

Additionally, Toyota's commitment to training drivers and personnel has sparked speculation that this could be a preliminary step toward a more substantial return to the premier class racing in the future. However, TGR's general manager of motorsport engineering, Masaya Kaji, revealed that the company was not considering an F1 return and that its involvement in Formula 1 remains limited to its partnership with Haas. He told Motorsport.com:

"We have no plan to enter power unit supply, at this moment."

When asked if the collaboration with Haas could motivate Toyota to enter as a team in Formula 1, he said:

"Actually, we have no plan to have a team in F1. At this moment, we have the best choice and best option to collaborate with Haas."

TGR's president, Takahashi Tomoya mentioned that Toyota aims to use F1 knowledge on its road car projects. He added:

"As you know, F1 cars are packed with a lot of the world's most advanced technology.

"Aerodynamics, for example, is an extremely important technology for electric vehicles.

"I believe that the day will come when we will be able to feed back the technology we have received to production cars, and I believe that people who have experienced that high level of technology will also create the next production car, so I would like to make full use of it in future production cars."

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda explained the situation from 2009, when Toyota departed from the world of Formula 1. Now though, conditions are favorable for the company to partner with a Formula 1 team. He added:

"At the time [when we withdrew from F1], I think Toyota was more interested in making a bigger company than in making better cars.

"As president, I decided at the time that the company's objectives were sales and profits, and that this kind of activity [F1] was not really suitable for the company.

"Now we are transforming ourselves into a company that builds better cars based on motorsport. To do that, we need people who can take responsibility for that."

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed that the partnership with TGR is for the long term, and the current focus remains on projects that require urgent attention. He said:

"This is not a short-term thing.

"The certain projects we picked to start off is because it's so obvious what areas we are lacking, and what areas we haven't got the capability - and what areas TGR has already got capability.

"We obviously are picking up the project that has the biggest impact and the need straight away.

"But I think throughout this partnership we will understand each other more and more and there'll be many areas we can work together."