Haas Partners With Toyota & Launches Multi-Year F1 Deal Today
Oct.11 - Haas really is teaming up with carmaker giant Toyota in Formula 1.
Some months ago, after Toyota officials were spotted in the small American team's garage at Silverstone, experts concluded that the Japanese manufacturer was probably just looking for a new tenant for its Cologne wind tunnel.
McLaren, Toyota's former wind tunnel client, recently began using its own state-of-the-art facility at its Woking factory.
"It is also possible that Toyota will take over some of the contracted manufacturing (for Haas) that is currently carried out at Dallara in Italy," Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Tobias Gruner reported at the time.
However, Haas on Friday announced a "multi-year agreement" with Toyota Gazoo Racing, involving a partnership packaging "design, technical and manufacturing services".
The deal will also involve Toyota branding on the Ferrari-powered Haas cars as of next weekend's US grand prix in Austin and beyond.
Team boss Ayao Komatsu says the deal has Ferrari's blessing.
"Together with Gene Haas, I'd specifically like to thank Stefano Domenicali and Fred Vasseur on that front," said the Japanese.
Auto Motor und Sport said a new, Toyota-constructed front wing will debut on the 2024 Haas car in Austin. "More and more parts will be added bit by bit," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.
"The aim is that by mid-2025, all components will be supplied by Toyota, with the exception of the chassis and the drivetrain elements produced by Ferrari."
Toyota pulled its Cologne-based works Formula 1 team out of the sport at the end of 2009.
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So the rumors earlier this year were truthful in the end, even if this isn’t an actual return for Toyota, but merely a technical partnership, albeit still more than effectively a mere branding appearance like with Alfa Romeo.
A nice way in for Toyota, using there WEC winning experiences to sound out making an f1 engine/car in future years Win-win for Haas+Toyota