Why Haas takes ‘huge confidence’ from early fruits of Toyota collaboration

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed Toyota’s increased involvement with the team “really doesn’t change” the ‘foundation’ upon which the team has been built, with support from Ferrari – but some of its growth has given the team “huge confidence” in recent years.

Toyota, through its Gazoo Racing division, becomes Haas’ title sponsors from New Year’s Day, with increased support from the Japanese marque being offered in the hope of moving Haas forward.

Haas taking ‘huge confidence’ as recent growth boosted by Toyota involvement

Haas has access to Ferrari’s simulation tools at Maranello, but is currently in the process of building its own simulator, which is due to be operational by the summer.

Ferrari has also been Haas’ power unit supplier since it arrived in Formula 1, with the closeness of the brands’ relationship evidenced by Ferrari junior, Oliver Bearman, currently occupying one of its cockpits.

Haas runs the smallest operation on the Formula 1 grid but has outperformed expectations in recent seasons, which team principal Komatsu puts down to being able to commit to an upgrade programme it would not have been able to manage in recent years.

With that comes “huge confidence” about what the team may achieve in future.

Reflecting on the year just gone, Komatsu told PlanetF1.com and others: “Obviously, we started pretty bad, but I think I’m really, really happy the way we came back from that one, from that Melbourne disaster, to put a modification on at Suzuka, that was amazing.

“[We] kept developing in that direction, putting proper upgrades on for performance in Silverstone and Austin. That was really, really good. So I think two years in the row, it just gives us lots of confidence that whatever’s thrown at us, if we stick together, we can solve it and put a competitive car out there.

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“I’m sure you guys all know, [in the past], start the season, ‘okay, I can’t develop the car’ – that’s done now. Two years in the row, we proved we can do it, so I think that that really gives huge confidence, whatever happens at the start of next year, right? Who knows what it’s going to be, right? With brand new regulations.

“But I think that just gives people confidence that if you stick together, support each other, you can solve anything.”

As for Toyota’s involvement, Komatsu previously confirmed that Toyota would like an involvement in how its drivers are decided in future, but stressed that performance would be the main indicator for any driver taking a seat with the team.

He revealed that Toyota chairman, Akio Toyoda, asked about Ferrari’s reaction to their partnership growing, but that nothing has changed between the two.

Komatsu explained that, while Ferrari is supporting Haas in certain areas as its customer team, Toyota will help to fill in with other areas where Ferrari will work independently.

Asked about how Toyota’s growing collaboration may affect its status with Ferrari, Komatsu replied: “It really doesn’t change. Like I said from day one, our existence, really, the foundation is Ferrari. You know, without Ferrari collaboration, we’re not going to be here.

“Then we are increasing [working with Toyota], or even the very first time last year, one of the first questions Akio’s asked me: ‘Is Ferrari going to be okay with this?’ So it’s not like Toyota is trying to step into where Ferrari is working with us.

“So there are certain areas, obviously, in the regulation that Ferrari can help us, certain areas in the regulation that Ferrari cannot help us because they are our competitor, and those are the areas where we are working together with Toyota and TGR, so there’s no issue in that regard at all.

“I’ve been completely transparent with Ferrari as well, and again, Akio-san, for somebody like the chairman of TMC to have a first thing he says is ‘I don’t want to create any mess with Ferrari’, he’s a great guy.”

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