3 minute read

Haas team principal, Ayao Komatsu, has expressed optimism about the team's novel technical partnership with Toyota, which he hopes will help propel them up the F1 grid.

The American team, who made their F1 debut in 2016, say the “long-term” partnership with Gazoo Racing – the motorsport arm of Toyota Motor Corporation – will bring design, technical and manufacturing services.

It marks a return to the sport for the Japanese motor giants for the first time since 2009 when Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock guided the Toyota team to fifth in the constructors’ standings.

Haas, whose power-unit partnership with Scuderia Ferrari will continue, will carry Toyota branding from their home race at the United States Grand Prix next weekend onwards.

Komatsu believes the link-up with Toyota is essential for the future success of the team and says founder Gene Haas took little convincing of the benefits.

“It is a no-brainer, especially if you look at the regulations and the financial regulations and the current landscape of the sport,” Komatsu said.

“To start off with it was just an idea but the more we talked and the more we understood each other’s objectives, approach, strengths and weaknesses, honestly it is a perfect match.

“Under the budget-cap era you have got to be cost-efficient. All of this with our current model, there is a limit on how much we can improve.

“We have improved in this area and that area but unless we take some other aspects of engineering essentially in-house, which normally requires huge investment and a big lead time, you cannot make a big step in terms of efficiency.

“With this partnership we can make that leap very quickly. It was not difficult to convince Gene.

“Gene is very, very engaged with the F1 team. He is always asking me ‘what do we need to do to be better, to be top six, top five consistently, to have a chance to get a podium at some point’?”

Masaya Kaji, project manager of Gazoo Racing, said Toyota has no plans to return to F1 as as power-unit supplier. The company withdrew from the sport in 2009 having run its own team for eight seasons without picking up a race win.

Haas are seventh in this season’s constructors’ standings ahead of the race in Austin. British star Oliver Bearman, 19, and Frenchman Esteban Ocon will be driving for the team next season.

Komatsu admits the benefits of the collaboration with Toyota will take time to be seen on track but is certain this is the best chance they have to make progress quickly.

“This is a long-term partnership. This is not a short-term thing,” Komatsu said.

“We are the smallest team on the grid. In terms of being more competitive in the midfield we are looking for somebody who can give us more resource on the hardware and the know-how to use that hardware.

“It is so obvious what area we are lacking and what area TGR has capabilities of.

“In terms of seeing the benefit it is not going to be immediate. Like any partnership we need to understand each other. We need to try a few things

“I’m not dreaming that this will take us a step straight away but certainly it is much quicker. We can do it by ourselves if we had money but it is certainly much quicker to do it through this collaboration because they already have that know-how.”