Toyota sent blunt message as F1 boss insists seat cannot be bought

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has opened up on the process which led to Rafael Camara being named the team's new driver for 2027.

The American team have a very close relationship with Japanese manufacturer Toyota (the TGR in the team's official name for 2026, TGR Haas F1 Team, stands for Toyota Gazoo Racing), leading some to wonder whether that partnership would play a part in driver selection.

The three names selected to test in Portimao in late August, a test seen as a de facto audition for the seat, didn't completely put those notions to bed either, with Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa joined by Ferrari Driver Academy youngster Camara and McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli.

Hirakawa's Toyota links clearly didn't guarantee him the job though, with Komatsu confirming to the media after Camara's signing that there was never a suggestion between himself and TGR boss Akio Toyoda that a Toyota driver would have first pick on a Haas seat.

Of course, the presence of two Ferrari Driver Academy drivers in a Ferrari-powered team has seen Haas called a 'Ferrari B-team' since Camara's signing was made official instead, something else Komatsu has pushed back against.

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Komastu breaks down Toyota expectations

Komatsu explained the Toyota situation, saying: “From the very moment we started talking with Toyota, that was in ’24, I knew that Akio-san was very keen to get one of his drivers to the race seat in next year, 2027.

“So, I went to see him in person in Tokyo before we signed anything, before he made any comment to me, because I didn’t want any misunderstanding, or I didn’t want him to, let’s say, invest in a team with a misunderstanding of, ‘Okay, if we work together, we can get like one of my drivers to the race seat’.

“I said to him, ‘Look, I understand you know your target, but this driver, whoever your driver is going to be, has to be the fastest one’.

“If I choose the driver who is not the fastest, who is not the best, to Toyota, they’re going to be labelled as, ‘Okay. Toyota just poured 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. And then, as the Haas F1 team, we’re not going to produce the results that we should be producing because this guy is not the fastest guy. So, for all three parties involved, it’s not going to work, is it?”

Haas 'totally transparent' over Toyota driver chances

“I was totally transparent from the start. ‘Akio-san, we’re going to choose the driver who is the fastest’, and then he was completely happy with that. Of course, we’ve been informing how we’ve been assessing the drivers, where Ryo Hirakawa is, etc. etc.

“Initially, when we told him the plan to assess Ryo Hirakawa alongside some other drivers, he was actually very happy to say, ‘Wow, you know, Haas is doing it properly in this way. He was very, very happy.

“That shows the calibre of the person. I think 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 way as possible that we can execute.

“Once I made a decision, and then I went to see him on Monday, you know, after Singapore because we had another event, so that was a good chance for me to catch up with him.

“I told him in person with everything, all the process, etc., which he knew anyway via [Masaya] Kaji-san [Toyota Global Motorsports Director]. But it was important for me to again look at his eyes in person to just tell him. He was absolutely fine.”

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Written by

Chris Deeley - Editor

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