Is there a possible Formula 1 comeback for Toyota in collaboration with Haas? Reports to this effect rocked the Formula 1 world last week. Negotiations between the automobile giant and the US team are said to be already well advanced.
The rumors are also fueled by the fact that Toyota Gazoo Racing’s general representative, Masaya Kaji, visited the Haas pit in Silverstone. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2024, where Toyota competed in the top class with its hypercar, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu was also spotted in the Toyota pit.
When asked about Kaji’s recent visit to the British GP, Komatsu dismissed it. “He’s my friend,” was the Japanese driver’s brief explanation. Overall, Komatsu did not reveal his cards when it came to a possible partnership with Toyota: “To be honest, it’s not something we’ve discussed and I have no comment to make on it.”
What Komatsu makes clear, however, is that he would not rush into such a far-reaching decision as partnering with a manufacturer. The man from Tokyo has only been in office as team boss since January 2024 and described his decisions so far as rather cautious. “Especially with a small team like ours, it’s very easy to destroy things and lose control completely if you try to do too much,” says Komatsu, referring to his approach in his first few months as Haas team boss.
“And then you don’t have the capacity to even continue. So I had to be very careful. If there are ten things there, I wanted to make the minimum, minimal changes,” Komatsu continued. “The changes that I really, really felt like I had to make right away. That’s the only thing I did. If it was 50-50, or it was nice to change something, I didn’t do it.”
An important strategic decision in the Formula 1 only recently met Komatsu. Amid the Toyota rumors, Haas and Ferrari announced the extension of their engine partnership this week – which could also have an impact on a possible collaboration with Toyota. You can read all the details in this article: