Is Toyota returning to Formula 1? Team boss explains the essence of the deal

Haas boss Ayao Kamatsu has denied that the ultimate aim of the collaboration with Toyota is to turn the Japanese carmaker into a works Formula 1 team.

Toyota joins Haas at the end of 2024 as part of a multi-year technical partnership. In 2026, the cooperation will expand – Toyota GAZOO Racing will become the title sponsor of the American stable.

The Japanese company’s growing role has fueled speculation about a possible takeover of Haas or the creation of a full-fledged factory Formula 1 team. However, Kamatsu emphasized that such scenarios do not coincide with the real intentions of the parties.

“Many people easily talk about the ‘Toyota factory team’ or the claim that the company plans to produce its own engines. But there is complete clarity between Akio Toyota and me; the purpose of this collaboration is to develop people and create a competitive organization,” said Kamatsu.

According to the Haas president, Formula 1 is a unique environment for training due to its high competition and international scale.

“If we want to train people in a highly competitive and global environment, there is nothing better than Formula 1. Here, processes that take three months in the business world are solved in two weeks,” he explained.

Kamatsu emphasized that for Toyota, this project has an importance far beyond motor sports.

“The people that Toyota trains in such an environment, with an international and competitive mindset, can eventually become top executives of the company. So the question is not whether Toyota will become a factory F1 team or a power unit manufacturer. That is not the goal, although I am constantly asked.”