Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu revealed how he explained to Toyota the decision to sign Ferrari Academy Driver Rafael Camara over one of its own drivers for the 2027 F1 season.
After months of speculation, Haas revealed that Rafael Camara has been chosen to fill the seat vacated by Esteban Ocon for 2027. The young talent currently leads the Formula 2 championship and, the year before, he secured the Formula 3 title in his rookie campaign.
Whilst Haas uses Ferrari power units, the American outfit’s relationship with Ferrari differs from that of sister teams like Red Bull and Racing Bulls. A driver racing for Haas does not necessarily mean they will develop there and go on to drive for Ferrari, as Haas is its own team. However, if Ollie Bearman renews his agreement with the team, the line-up would consist of two former Ferrari Academy Drivers.
Transparency to choose the ‘fastest driver’
Moreover, the Banbury-based team has Toyota Gazoo Racing as their title sponsor. Despite this partnership, the team did not select a Toyota-backed driver for their 2027 line-up. When asked about Toyota’s reaction to the driver decision, the Team Principal explained the long process of making the right choice.
“From the very moment we started talking to Toyota, that was in 2024, I knew that Akio-san [Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota] was very keen to get one of his drivers to the race seat next year, 2027,” Komatsu told media, including Motorsport Week.
“So, I went to see him in person in Tokyo before we signed anything [with Camara], before he made any comment, because I didn’t want any misunderstanding. Or I didn’t want him to, let’s say, invest in the team with a misunderstanding of, ‘OK, if we work together, we can get one of my drivers to the race seat’.
“I said to him, ‘look, I understand your target, but this driver, whoever your driver is going to be, has to be the fastest one, because if I choose the driver who is not the fastest, who is not the best, to Toyota, they’re going to be labelled as, ‘OK, Toyota just call the cash in to get their driver into F1’, then whoever this driver is, who got the seat, because of Toyota backing, is going to be labelled as a Toyota pay driver.
The ‘professional’ and ‘fair’ process of choosing a Haas driver
“And then, as a Haas F1 team, we’re not going to produce the result that we should be producing, because this guy’s not the fastest guy,” Komatsu continued.
“So, for all three parties involved, it’s not going to work, is it? I was totally transparent from the start: ‘Akio-san, we’re going to choose the driver who is the fastest’, and then he’s completely happy with that.”
There were several rumours about who would end up in the Haas seat, and with plenty of young, talented drivers to choose from, the process involved several assessments. The team boss emphasised the importance of transparency and fairness in the process.
“And then, of course, we’ve been informing how we’ve been assessing the driver, where Ryo Hirakawa is, etc. Initially, when we told him the plan to assess Ryo Hirakawa alongside some other drivers, he was actually very happy to say, ‘wow, Haas is doing it properly in this way’. He was very, very happy. That shows the calibre of the person, I think.
“You know, he was never expecting his driver, in this case, Ryo Hirakawa, to be given a seat without merit, right? And then he was assured that we are doing it in as professional and as fair a way as possible that we can execute.”
Komatsu ‘grateful’ for Toyota and Haas partnership
As the Japanese boss explained, the Toyota driver Ryo Hirakawa was one of the drivers assessed for the seat. Other drivers assessed included Haas reserve driver Jack Doohan and 2025 F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli. But when it came to the fastest driver, Camara came out on top.
“So, and then once I made a decision, and I went to see him on Monday, after Singapore, because we had another event, but that was a good chance for me to catch up with him. So, I told him in person. With everything, all the process, etc, which he knew anyway, via Kaji-san [Masaya Kaji, TGR Global Motorsport Director], because I told Kaji-san.
“But it was important for me to, again, look at his eyes in person to just tell him that he was absolutely fine. But he is that kind of person. He’s great. I just cannot praise him enough. He’s a great human being and his passion and what he wants to achieve with us is just brilliant.
“So, I cannot be grateful enough that we have this collaboration that I actually met him.”
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