$278 billion worth carmaker rumored to return to F1 with Haas

Haas is currently in an extensive partnership with Ferrari.

$278 billion worth carmaker rumored to return to F1 with Haas

Haas and Toyota (Via: Imago)

F1 has witnessed multiple manufacturers expressing their interest in joining the grid. However, manufacturers have had to consider buying stakes in existing teams as FOM seems reluctant after the Andretti-Cadillac saga. Following this, Toyota is rumored to be considering returning to F1 after more than a decade with the smallest team on the grid, Haas.

The current F1 grid consists of 10 teams. Manufacturers like Williams, Haas, and Sauber belong on the rear end of the spectrum. Audi has already committed their future to F1 by buying out the Sauber team, which has left Williams and Haas alone in the squad.

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However, this situation is reported to change with Toyota‘s reported interest in the Kannapolis-based team. According to Formula.hu, the Japanese giant could ally with Haas as early as next year.

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Moreover, this partnership could extend beyond sponsorship rights and Toyota could take over the chassis division as Haas already outsources its chassis work to Dallara. The interest in Haas could be down to the upward trajectory of the team during the ongoing campaign.

Former Williams driver explained that Toyota’s return cannot be ruled out

While this would not be the first time Toyota would join the F1 grid, their last venture did not yield any profits. The Japanese marque had invested billions of dollars to advance their prospects but never managed to score a single win.

Toyota
Toyota (Via: Imago)

However, former Williams-Toyota driver, Kazuki Nakajima claimed the situation to be otherwise.

I know, of course, you can think about it, and there are a lot of rumours. But I can clearly say that it's no, and nothing to do with it. For the future, we never know.
Kazuki Nakajima said in an interview with Motorsport

The 39-year-old claimed that there were a lot of rumors circulating the paddock. Moreover, last year McLaren and Toyota had agreed to share their drivers for reserve driver roles, which had spooled up the rumors. He then stated while the situation might not be in F1’s favor, things could change drastically in the future.

Therefore, fans could anticipate Toyota’s comeback to F1 after their massive failure in the 2000s. The Japanese marque would dearly want to prove their critics wrong and finally ace the regulations by forming a coalition with Haas.

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