Haas – Toyota: Ferrari "made certain requests" to accept new partnership

10/11/2024 06:21 AM

The agreement between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing was made official during the Italian night, but initial contacts were established at the beginning of 2024. Haas wanted to move away from the struggles that had tied them to the lower ranks of the Formula 1 Constructors’ standings. Meanwhile, Toyota, having been out of F1 for several years, needed know-how on the current cars.

In just a few months, the two teams met and set up a project that would benefit both. A fair exchange, with Haas aiming to become more competitive on track, and Toyota seeking the knowledge they lack due to their absence from the championship.

Following the announcement, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu held a press conference to better explain the terms of the agreement between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing.

"As you all know, we are the smallest team in Formula 1, and we lack certain facilities that help us understand technical aspects. This, of course, also means we lack the physical resources to be more competitive in the midfield. This is what we are seeking with this agreement. We were looking for someone who could give us more resources to use in becoming more competitive. Toyota Gazoo Racing is giving us exactly that.”

"Toyota has a great facility in Cologne, and we will be able to use it. We will also be able to do various activities with the simulator and other tasks thanks to their facilities. In return, Toyota will receive F1 know-how that they have been seeking for some time.”

"Furthermore, we don't have the number of personnel that Toyota has. It will be an exchange of information so we can fill the gaps where we are most lacking by learning from each other. It's a sort of perfect combination that will ensure both Haas and Toyota benefit."

Komatsu also clarified that the agreement with Toyota will not replace the one with Ferrari. The Scuderia will continue to supply engines and gearboxes to the American team, as well as wind tunnel hours. The Toyota agreement, on the other hand, will cover areas not included in the deal with Ferrari.

"We will continue to use the Maranello wind tunnel, and we won't be building our own gearbox. We will keep buying it from Ferrari. The agreement with Toyota does not replace the one with Ferrari. Our relationship with Ferrari is fundamental to us, and what they provide is fantastic. Toyota Gazoo Racing will help us grow in areas not covered by our deal with Ferrari."

"We have been completely transparent with Ferrari since the beginning of talks with Toyota. We all have a clear understanding of the areas where Ferrari and Toyota will operate. And the intellectual properties of both will remain protected."

Another key aspect is the relationship between Haas and Dallara. Like the Ferrari agreement, this will continue without any issues. Toyota will coexist with Ferrari and Dallara, and in fact, the next Haas cars will be a blend of technology and solutions from the two Italian companies and the Japanese giant.

"Dallara is a very important partner for us. They've been with us since day one in Formula 1, making the chassis. So, for us, it's another key partnership, very important. We've discussed the areas each company will handle, and they will coexist. One won't replace the other.” – he pointed out – "Our design office will remain in Maranello, as we will continue to buy the engine, gearbox, and suspension from Ferrari. We will keep using their wind tunnel, so our aerodynamics will be based on that. But for manufacturing certain carbon components, doing some testing, simulating our work, and other things that can help improve the car's performance, we will work with Toyota."

Thanks to the new agreement with Toyota Gazoo Racing, Haas will be able to have a simulator installed at their Banbury headquarters in England. The timeline for its arrival is not yet defined, but Komatsu explained how Haas will use Ferrari's simulator in Maranello and how Toyota's will be employed.

"We've never had a simulator on-site at Banbury. The only simulator we've had access to was Ferrari's in Maranello. And yes, we've used it, but only not under extreme conditions, so to speak. We use it for pre-season work, but during the season, what we can do on the Maranello simulator is quite limited. Additionally, linking back to what I said earlier about personnel and resources, we have a very limited number of staff. The track engineers you see at the circuit are all we have, and there's not much of a team behind them."

"So, if we need to do a simulation session in Italy, I can't ask my guys from the UK to come back from those 24 races and then spend another, I don't know, 10 weeks in Italy for simulation sessions. This logistical issue has prevented us from doing more. But at the same time, the Maranello simulator is, of course, a very, very good one. So, we will keep using it in the way we are currently. For example, we've used it for correlation and wind tunnel development, so we'll continue using it that way. But in terms of driver work and team work, another advantage of a similar system is team building."

"It's not necessarily about how we will tackle this weekend in terms of setup, etc. Yes, all of that is part of the work, but the most important part is team building—for the drivers, the race engineers, the performance engineers. That's obviously key when you have new drivers. I'm not saying we'll have our new simulator running at Banbury at the beginning of next year. No, that won't happen. The timing needs to be defined now that we've signed the contract with TGR, and then we'll make an announcement."

"But again, these programs complement each other. Specifically, one of our drivers for next year, Ollie Bearman, is a Ferrari driver and has driven the Maranello simulator for aerodynamic development. So, to maintain consistency, Ollie will keep doing what he's doing, but Ollie will also drive the Banbury simulator. And, of course, Esteban will drive the Banbury simulator once it's ready and operational. So, if you like, this adds value. As you can see, it doesn't take away from what we're doing at Maranello, but it also applies to Banbury. It adds value to what we're already doing and brings a new dimension." – he concluded.

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