Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has denied rumours that the team will gradually morph into a works Toyota team amid its increased alliance for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The American squad began a technical partnership with the Japanese marque in the latter stages of 2024, while maintaining its power unit deal with Ferrari.
2026 will see Toyota Gazoo Racing up its level of support for the Silverstone-based outfit, even becoming a title partner through the renaming as TGR Haas F1 Team.
This has led to rumours that it will look to gradually take over the team and re-enter F1 as a works team, having been off the grid since 2009.
Toyota first entered F1 in 2002 and spent the next eight seasons as an omnipresent in the midfield, but despite having one of the largest budgets on the grid, failed to win a race.
Komatsu has moved swiftly to shut down any possibility that the organisation will use Haas as a vehicle to re-establish itself as an F1 team once again.
“I think it’s easy for many people to say that, because I think people want to say things like, ‘Toyota works team, Toyota is going to make engines’,” Komatsu told media including Motorsport Week.
“But between Akio [Toyoda, Toyota Chairman] and myself, it’s totally clear, the purpose of this collaboration is really trying to grow people, and through doing that, we make a competitive organisation.”
Haas and Toyota alliance mutually beneficial
Komatsu reiterated that the point of the alliance is to train new, budding technical personnel for the benefit of either Haas and/or Toyota, without any ulterior motive.
“If you look at F1 as an environment, if somebody wants to train people, or throw people into a very competitive environment, or an international environment, there’s nothing better than F1,” he said.
“I think the amazing thing about this is, it’s very international, incredibly competitive.
“Let’s say in the corporate world, certain things take, let’s say for argument’s sake, three months to develop – in F1, we solve it in two weeks.
“In terms of training people, I don’t think you’ll find anything better.
“That’s where I think our synergy comes from, we are looking for people, Akio-san was looking for the environment, where he can train and grow his own people.
“I think in the long run, for Toyota Motor Corporation, it’s not just for the racing, the people they grow, train in this environment, will one day hopefully be a senior manager, or top management in the TMC, in the international mindset, competitive mindset.
“It’s just a lot more than just about, ‘are they going to make a PU? Are they going to be the Toyota F1 works team?’
“That’s really, really not the target, but I know I get asked this question every time, but that’s not the case.”
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