{"id":385237,"date":"2026-01-01T18:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/385237\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T18:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:44:08","slug":"how-toyota-could-influence-haas-f1s-driver-line-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/385237\/","title":{"rendered":"How Toyota could influence Haas F1’s driver line-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Haas<\/a> finished last year\u2019s Championship in a respectable 8th, regularly fighting for points in a competitive midfield.<\/p>\n

Despite this, there are fundamental concerns about the team\u2019s long-term prospects. Under the leadership of team principal Ayao Komatsu, Haas can be credited with punching above their weight and optimising their limited resources.<\/p>\n

The question is whether this is sustainable \u2013 with a far smaller workforce and bare-bones facilities compared to rivals.<\/p>\n

This is where Haas\u2019 collaboration with Toyota<\/a> comes into play. The Japanese giant will be a crucial partner moving forward, and will start playing a role in key decisions \u2013 including driver selection.<\/p>\n

\"\"Esteban Ocon leads Oliver Bearman at Silverstone. (Photo by Clive Rose\/Getty Images)
\nKomatsu confirms Toyota has voice, but performance remains king<\/p>\n

Historically, Haas have enjoyed a strong relationship with Ferrari. As one of the Scuderia\u2019s customers, they have used Ferrari engines, gearboxes and other components.<\/p>\n

There is also a history of Haas of signing Ferrari<\/a> juniors, from Mick Schumacher to Oliver Bearman. Of course, in Bearman\u2019s case, Komatsu always rated the 20-year-old highly \u2013 and did not require a nudge from Maranello to offer him a contract.<\/p>\n

Regardless, the collaboration between these teams has been significant.<\/p>\n

Ayao Komatsu<\/a> insists this bond it still an important one \u2013 hardly a surprise, given that Haas remain a customer team.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Haas are entering a new and transformative chapter with Toyota. Now officially competing under the name TGR Haas F1 Team, the American outfit is working closely with the Japanese brand.<\/p>\n

Critically, this alliance has allowed for Haas to construct their own simulator<\/a> facility in Banbury, England, scheduled to come online later in 2026.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the pool of engineers at Toyota\u2019s disposal can help reinforce the US Squad\u2019s relatively small group of personnel.<\/p>\n

Of course, the Japanese brand also benefits from this collaboration.<\/p>\n

Several Toyota-affiliated drivers, such as Ryo Hirakawa and Kamui Kobayashi, have completed TPC tests with Haas over the last twelve months.<\/p>\n

In terms of drivers, Ayao Komatsu has discussed if Toyota will have future role in driver selection:<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, of course,\u201d Motorsport Week<\/a> quotes Komatsu as saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir goal, one of many goals they have, is to, like we said with developing people \u2013 one of them is drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut [the] main thing is, performance is first. Anybody who gets in our race car, it has to be the best choice in terms of performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all agree on that one, even from Akio-san [Akio Toyoda, Toyota Chairman].<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if he wanted, let\u2019s say, a Japanese driver from his academy \u2013 it becomes a joke if we\u2019re putting that driver when he\u2019s not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Esteban Ocon driving the (31) Haas F1 VF-25 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Steven Tee\/LAT Images)
\nMore firepower needed at Haas<\/p>\n

When Komatsu first became Haas team principal, he was candid about two key things. The first, which justified his promotion, was that Haas could be more efficient with their resources.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s finishing positions in the last two seasons (7th and 8th) validate this claim.<\/p>\n

Haas now regularly feature in the top 10 under Komatsu, something that was rarely true from 2019-2023.<\/p>\n

However, not long after his appointment, the 49-year-old also spoke about the deficiencies Haas must overcome<\/a>. He has revealed that most teams have double or even triple the employees at Haas.<\/p>\n

In this sense, the team\u2019s agreement with Toyota is a game-changer. It provides a much-needed boost in resources, which will be critical going forward.<\/p>\n

Of course, Toyota\u2019s involvement has triggered speculation about whether purchasing the team is a long-term objective. Unsurprisingly, this suggestion is denied by all parties.<\/p>\n

Regardless, this arrangement is clearly a win-win. Toyota get to put their drivers in private tests, occasional free practice sessions \u2013 and potentially put forward candidates for an F1 seat.<\/p>\n

Haas, meanwhile, find themselves with more financial firepower in a sport with no shortage of major players.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Aston Martin and Honda\u2019s secret weapon<\/a><\/p>\n

Main photo: Simon Galloway\/LAT Images (Haas F1 Team Media Gallery)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Haas finished last year\u2019s Championship in a respectable 8th, regularly fighting for points in a competitive midfield. Despite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385238,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[64,63,817,191992,813,816,5328,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-385237","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-f1","11":"tag-f1-2026-season","12":"tag-formula-1","13":"tag-formula1","14":"tag-haas","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}