Haas addresses F1 driver line-up options as Toyota influence grows

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed he is open to the possibility of having a wider partnership with a Toyota driver following the Japanese manufacturer's increased presence at the team.

Earlier this year, Toyota announced it would be Haas' title sponsor for the 2026 season.

The development comes over one year after the two parties struck up a technical partnership.

Komatsu has denied that the increased investment from Toyota is the start of a move towards a complete takeover, insisting the cooperation centres around the training of team personnel.

When asked by media including RacingNews365 if Toyota has ever raised the topic of fielding a driver full-time in F1, Komatsu replied: “Yeah, of course. 

“Their goal – one of many goals they have, is to, like we said with developing people, one of them is drivers.”

Toyota has a large pool of drivers at its disposal across various categories, including the World Endurance Championship and Super Formula.

However, Komatsu asserted that performance will always take priority as he insisted it will not field a driver it does not believe can make a tangible impact.

“But [the] main thing is, performance is first,” he said. 

“Anybody who gets in our race car, it has to be the best choice in terms of performance.

“We all agree on that one, even from Akio-san [Akio Toyoda, Toyota chairman], even though he wanted, let’s say, a Japanese driver from his academy, it becomes a joke if we’re putting that driver when he’s not good enough.

“Then people will say, ‘Oh, Toyota’s just buying a seat with money.’ 

“That’s not what Akio-san is doing. That’s not what we’re doing. We always pick drivers who will deliver performance.”