Toyota says an official Formula 1 return – either with an engine or its own team – is not on its radar, despite agreeing a tie-up with Haas.
The Japanese manufacturer announced on Friday that it has agreed a long-term technical partnership with Haas, which will include the two organisations working together on a test programme, aerodynamic development and the manufacturing of parts.
This is Toyota’s first official foray back into F1 since it quit at the end of the 2009 season off the back of poor results on track and the global financial crisis.
Toyota’s determination to train up drivers and personnel has inevitably prompted talk that this could be a toe-in-the-water exercise ahead of a bigger return to competitive action down the road.
One option could be, for example, for Toyota to work on its own turbo hybrid engine to join F1 as a supplier from 2028 or 2029.
However, chiefs at Toyota are clear that the deal with Haas is all it is thinking of right now – as it says the priority is on using the knowledge gained through the deal to help enhance its road car development.
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s general manager of motorsport engineering Masaya Kaji, said that there were no other thoughts within the organisation about expanding its F1 involvement.
“We have no plan to enter power unit supply, at this moment,” he said.
When asked by Autosport if the new F1 work could spark a competitive interest in racing once again though, Kaji replied: “Actually, we have no plan to have a team in F1. At this moment, we have a best choice and best option to collaborate with Haas.”
Evolving partnership
While the scope of the deal with Haas has been agreed for now, there remain ways in which it could expand in the future.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said that the early priority was nailing down those areas where Toyota could help make the biggest difference.
“This is not a short-term thing,” he explained. “The certain projects we picked to start off is because it's so obvious what areas we are lacking, and what areas we haven't got the capability - and what areas TGR has already got capability.
“We obviously are picking up the project that has the biggest impact and the need straight away.
“But I think throughout this partnership we will understand each other more and more and there'll be many areas we can work together.”
Road car benefits
From Toyota’s perspective, the venture with Haas is motivated by its desire to improve technology for its road cars.
Takahashi Tomoya, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s president, said: “As you know, F1 cars are packed with a lot of the world's most advanced technology.
“Aerodynamics, for example, is an extremely important technology for electric vehicles.
“I believe that the day will come when we will be able to feed back the technology we have received to production cars, and I believe that people who have experienced that high level of technology will also create the next production car, so I would like to make full use of it in future production cars.”
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, who made the decision to pull the plug on F1 in 2009, explained that getting involved in F1 once again after being away for so long was because his company's circumstances had changed.
“At the time [when we withdrew from F1], I think Toyota was more interested in making a bigger company than in making better cars,” he said.
“As president, I decided at the time that the company's objectives were sales and profits, and that this kind of activity [F1] was not really suitable for the company.
“Now we are transforming ourselves into a company that builds better cars based on motorsport. To do that, we need people who can take responsibility for that.”
