Exploring the Impact of the Toyota Gazoo Racing and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Technical Partnership
- Oct 21, 2024
- 15 min read
Updated: Oct 30, 2024
A brief journey into the past
Before F1 From 1993 to 1997, Toyota participated in the Rally championship and secured four World Rally Championship drivers' titles, with Carlos Sainz being the most prominent driver. Additionally, Toyota won three constructors' titles during this period.
But unfortunetely The FIA banned the team from competition for 12 months at the end of 1995 for running illegal parts, causing the team unable to race at next season.
Toyota continued to win rallies after their return in 1997, but did not achieve the same level of dominance.
In 1997 the team moved into track racing with a sports car project, twice failing to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. On 21 January 1999 Toyota announced its move into Formula One. The company ended its rallying and Le Mans programs in order to concentrate on Formula One.
The birth of a team
Toyota made an announcement on 21 January 1999 about entering Formula One. To focus on Formula One, the company decided to discontinue its rallying and Le Mans programs.
After the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota announced its commitment to Formula 1 in 1999 in order to rejuvenate its image 1. Hiroshi Okuda, Toyota's President, declared: ‘Through Formula 1, we want to promote the pleasure of driving, with young people in particular in mind ’.
André de Cortanze, Toyota Motorsport's technical director for endurance racing, was appointed technical director. In August 2000, Toyota announced the arrival of drivers Mika Salo and Allan McNish.
In February 2001, Michelin announced that it was supplying tyres for the Japanese team.
On 23 March, Ove Andersson presented the Toyota TF101, the manufacturer's first Formula 1 car, which would be used for private testing during the season. In May, Toyota replaced André de Cortanze with Gustav Brunner from Scuderia Minardi. At the beginning of July 2001, Panasonic became Toyota's main sponsor.
2002-2004: the early days
Toyota made its Formula 1 debut in 2002. Its drivers were Mika Salo and Allan McNish. Taking advantage of a pile-up, Mika Salo scored a point in the first Grand Prix in Melbourne. He confirmed this at Sepang, where he started tenth and was among the top eight before a technical problem dropped him to twelfth. At Interlagos, he scored a second point. The rest of the season was more difficult, despite some fine performances, such as in Monaco, where the cars finished on the fifth row. McNish destroyed his car and was injured during qualifying at Suzuka and did not take part in the final race of the season, while Salo finished eighth. In its debut season, Toyota finished tenth with two points, tied with Minardi.
However, the season was marred by poor reliability, with no more than 10 DNFs due to reliability issues, which is far too high to be competitive at this level.
During the off-season, Toyota parted company with its two drivers.
2003
In 2003, Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta were promoted to the starting line-up. The TF103, directly inspired by the Ferrari F2002, marked a major step forward. However, results failed to improve, mainly due to reliability problems once again. Toyota put in some notable performances, with da Matta finishing sixth in Spain and Panis finishing fifth ahead of the Brazilian in Germany. At Silverstone, the team completed its first laps at the top of Formula 1 thanks to da Matta. Toyota finished eighth in the championship. At the end of the season, Technical Director Ove Andersson was replaced by Mike Gascoyne from the Renault F1 Team.
2004
At the start of 2004, Toyota was still clearly the last of the three major manufacturers present behind Ferrari and Renault. Mike Gascoyne, who arrived too late to have an impact on the TF104, made changes to the car at each Grand Prix, but performance failed to take off. During the summer, sporting director Ange Pasquali and driver Cristiano Da Matta were sacked, despite finishing sixth in Monaco. Ricardo Zonta replaced his compatriot and then Jarno Trulli, fresh from Renault, arrived at the end of the season. Toyota could do no better than fifth place in the race with Olivier Panis in the United States, and stagnated in eighth place in the championship, with fewer points than in 2003.
2005: ramping up and arrival of the customer engine
In 2005, Ralf Schumacher became Jarno Trulli's team-mate and the TF105 was entirely designed under the direction of Mike Gascoyne. Performance improved significantly despite a blank score in Australia, with Trulli finishing ninth and Ralf Schumacher twelfth. In Malaysia, Trulli secured Toyota's first Formula 1 podium with second place, while Ralf Schumacher finished fifth.After three Grands Prix, Toyota has scored 25 points, better than its 16 points from its best season in 2003.
Toyota finished the season in fourth place in the championship with 88 points, its best ever season in Formula 1.
The 2005 season also enabled Toyota to supply its engines to another team, Jordan Grand Prix, which scored a podium finish with its driver Tiago Monteiro in the United States.
2006-2007: slight decline
In 2006, when Toyota switched to Bridgestone tyres, the TF106 was not performing well. The first races were disastrous, and only Ralf Schumacher was able to finish on the podium in Melbourne. As a result, Mike Gascoyne was sacked and a TF106B was built; it made its debut at Monaco, but after eight Grands Prix, Toyota was only in seventh place with Ralf Schumacher scoring eight points.
The Bridgestone tyres made progress during the summer, which enabled Trulli to score points and the team to put in some encouraging performances, such as two consecutive fourth places in the United States and France, and sixth and seventh places at Suzuka. Toyota finished sixth, with 35 points, well below the previous year's performance.
That Year Toyota supplied its engine to the Russian team Midland F1 Racing, the result of the Jordan takeover; the team failed to score a single point during the season and finished tenth.
In 2007, Pascal Vasselon, formerly of Michelin, became Technical Director. The TF107 was no more than an evolution of its predecessor, and its aerodynamics were clearly inadequate. The start of the season was encouraging, with three points finishes in three races, including two consecutive seventh places in Malaysia and Bahrain. However, this initial success masked the fundamental flaws of the car.
Toyota quickly fell back into line, scoring points on only four other occasions out of the remaining fourteen Grands Prix. Jarno Trulli's sixth place in the United States and Ralf Schumacher's sixth place in Hungary were the best results. Toyota ended its first season without a podium finish since 2004 in sixth place in the championship with 13 points, taking advantage of McLaren's exclusion.
The Toyota block equips the Williams F1 Team, which, thanks in particular to a podium finish by Alexander Wurz at the Canadian Grand Prix, ranks fourth in the constructors' championship, ahead of the factory team.
2008-2009: renewal, then departure
In 2008, the team parted company with Ralf Schumacher, who was replaced by 2007 GP2 winner Timo Glock. Although the TF108 performed better than its predecessor, the season got off to a difficult start, with a double retirement in Australia.
Throughout the season, Toyota consistently scored points in 12 out of 18 Grand Prix races, achieving two fortunate podium finishes. This highlights the team's lack of progress and stagnant performance since 2002, ultimately culminating in a fifth-place finish for the season with 56 points.
At the end of 2008, due to the economic crisis, several Japanese manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Mitsubishi) withdrew from the sport.
This lack of progress will make The new CEO, Akio Toyoda, says that Toyota will do the same if it does not win in 2009.
In 2009 F1 see a lot of changes especially aerodynamically one of the major changes are with the front wing being lower and wider, the driver can also ajust the flap of the front wing 6° but can only doing it twice during the race. The nose has been made over, the rear wing is more narrow and higher ! All this reduces grip. But the main major evolution is the apparition of the KERS (Kinetic energy recovery system) is an automotive system for recovering a moving vehicle's kinetic energy under braking.
Returning to Toyota, the 2009 car looks promising and efficient. The TF109 seems to be a high-performance vehicle, boasting a notable aerodynamic edge thanks to its twin diffusers.
And indeed, the start of the season got off to a good start despite the disqualification in qualifying, finishing third (Trulli) and fourth (Glock) in the inaugural race.
In the Malaysian rain, the cars were again third and fourth, in reverse order.
For the last Grand Prix Glock finished second in Singapore, as did Trulli in Suzuka, Toyota's thirteenth and final podium in Formula 1, tarnished by Timo Glock's accident in free practice; the German had to withdraw from the two remaining Grands Prix, allowing Kamui Kobayashi to make his debuts in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, rewarded with three points at the Emirati circuit. The five points scored by Toyota for this last Grand Prix of the season (Trulli adding the two points from his seventh place) were his last.
But the good season and the proof of rhythm but without any victories got the better of the team.
And On 4 November 2009, Toyota announced its withdrawal from Formula 1, having failed to win a Grand Prix after 139 attempts. The Williams team, seventh and up on its eighth-place finish in 2008, is without an engine manufacturer for 2010.
Toyota concluded its eighth and final season in fifth place with 59.5 points and five podiums.
But let's get back to our main topic of the day the Toyota Gazoo Racing and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Technical Partnership
Throughout the history of F1, Toyota has had a rather varied experience in the sport.
How did this collaboration come about between a lesser-known team in Formula 1 and a major player in the motorsport industry? Toyota Gazoo Racing has established a strong reputation in the WEC, highlighted by their recent victory at Le Mans 2022, demonstrating their prowess in the field.
The reason for this partnership with Toyota can be questioned, primarily due to the fact that the team principal of HAAS, Ayao Komatsu, hails from the same country.
Looking at it from this perspective, it is safe to say that this partnership probably would not have occurred if Gunther Steiner had been in charge. With Ayao Komatsu at the helm of HAAS, the team's dynamics underwent a significant transformation. Prior to Ayao Komatsu's appointment as team principal, HAAS was in utter disarray and evidently being poorly managed by a leader who was struggling to find solutions to support the team.
HAAS now appears to have established an effective routine for the entire team, with the upgrades proving to be successful and the overall atmosphere better than ever! Everyone seems to be in sync and prepared to progress together.
The recent change with Ayao Komatsu has brought about a sense of discipline, as well as tranquility, without any controversy, as we have observed.
Gunther wasn't a terrible team principal, but it's fair to say that his management style with the team and staff was overly aggressive, leading to a draining of team energy due to controversy and unnecessary attention.
Currently, the team is operating in a tranquil environment, free from unnecessary distractions, solely dedicated to performing their tasks effectively. The outcomes of their efforts are evident, as they currently hold the seventh position in the championship with 31 points, surpassing teams such as Williams, Alpine, and Sauber. They have consistently scored points in nine out of eighteen grand prix races, indicating the team's strong performance and stability.
There is no question that the consistent results validate HAAS's decision to part ways with Gunther and will undoubtedly facilitate their technical collaboration with Toyota Gazoo Racing.
However, let's explore this deal more thoroughly
For next year, Haas decided to part ways with the old Kevin Magnussen and replace him with Esteban Ocon who decided to leave Alpine F1 team after a disastrous 2024 campaign and will be paired with the New Rookie New Zealand Driver Oliver Bearman !
Bearman was already familiar with the responsibilities of being an F1 driver. He stepped in for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia when Carlos Sainz was injured, and later replaced Kevin Magnussen, who had received a race ban due to exceeding the points limit on his driver's license.
Having participated in two grand prix weekends already, Bearman appears to be a strong contender for HAAS. It is worth noting that Bearman is affiliated with the Ferrari Driver Academy, a factor that undoubtedly influenced HAAS's decision.
Now that we have the drivers, let's finally talk about this deal !
Here the official press release from HAAS and Toyota :
"“By competing alongside MoneyGram Haas F1 Team at the pinnacle of motorsports, we aim to cultivate drivers, engineers, and mechanics while strengthening the capabilities of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Toyota Gazoo Racing, and we desire to contribute to motorsports and the automotive industry.”
Let's delve into the significance of this press release!
HAAS F1 TEAM has evolved into a three-part team, incorporating components that adhere to FIA regulations. This includes the power-unit, a Dallara chassis, and technical support from Toyota!
The HAAS headquarters are located in Kannapolis, USA, with the factory situated in Banbury, England, and the offices at the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello.
Commencing in 2025, HAAS will have access to Ferrari parts and will also leverage Toyota Gazoo Racing's expertise in motorsports, including their renowned Wind Tunnel facility in Cologne, Germany, which is considered the best in the world.
So we that partnership HAAS secure the team future in the discipline and will be working towars the top of the standings with that deal.
But how having a Wind-Tunnel can be a game changer for the team ?
I won't go into too much detail, but in F1, the Wind-Tunnel is utilized for aerodynamic flow analysis as demonstrated in those videos
It is important to highlight that, according to FIA regulations, the team furthest from the top standings receives more Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) time.
Every year, Formula One cars race against each other on the F1 tracks, and each year they make sure to come laced with better, more advanced technology.
The new advancements in the F1 technology are certainly not possible without the CFD. Without it, engineers would have to face a much harder time discovering the answers to complex fluid problems in F1 engineering.
What is CFD in F1?
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a type of technological field that helps solve complex aerodynamic questions using advanced math, supercomputers, and physics laws. CFD is used in F1 to determine how fluids, especially gasses, will impact the speed and performance of the car on the race tracks.
Key takeaways
Here are some important aspects that you should know about CFD lap in Formula 1:
-CFD proves to be a very useful tool in designing systems and devices for the F1.
-CFD also helps to save the cost and time for engineers in the testing of prototypes for their designs.
To control the expenditure in designing F1 cars and to ensure fairness in the sport, FIA has imposed some restrictions on the use of CFD.
It is important to point that When designing an F1 car, engineers have to be extremely careful about the aerodynamics of the car and its designs. Now, that’s where most of the problem arises. Aerodynamics is not as easy to calculate and perceive unless it is tested by a design prototype.
CFD technology produces a 3D representation of the car prototype and applies advanced mathematics and laws of physics to predict how fluids will flow through the car and the effects this will have on it. This technology gives a very granular prediction of the performance of the F1 car on the race tracks.
Why is CFD being used by F1 designers?
CFD, if used correctly, is a very powerful tool that allows the evaluation of aerodynamic problems along complicated F1 bodies over many different conditions.
If an engineer designs a system or a device that is very difficult or costly to manufacture or evaluate through experimentation, CFD will allow them to have a virtual insight into that design. Hence, he will be able to witness his design and see how it will perform.
With the use of CFD in designing F1 cars, manufacturers and engineers are able to test their products before the wind tunnel session allowing them to re-evaluate their results and submit the best possible prototype. This technology also helps to understand the phenomenon of fluid flow with a very detailed 3D representation that may not be possible through experiments.
There are numerous teams participating in the F1 and not all of those teams have the resources required for CFD. For example, F1 teams backed up by Ferrari and Mercedes have more finances to invest in the hardware and software required for CFD simulations. In contrast, smaller, independent teams may not have enough financial resources to invest in CFD simulations as those bigger teams.
For quite some time, F1 was known for its lavishness, and the fluctuation in the global economy forced some teams, even those that were backed up by large automakers, to back out. This is why FIA enforced some rules on the use of CFD so that the sport could remain economical and fair for every F1 individual.
You're beginning to understand how the technical agreement will significantly impact the team.
Now, they will have the opportunity to utilize a wind tunnel along with the full range of technology provided by Toyota.
Explanation of Wind Tunnels and Novelty Rule that could impact the team's future
Wind Tunnel and Aerodynamics are so important in Formula One. As more downforce gives the car more grip on the corner and less drag in the straights making the car faster. In this section, we look into how Wind Tunnels work and what the new rule changes entail.
Developed for the Aero Industry, Formula One has adopted One of the main tools in developing areo dynamic efficiency in the car is the Wind Tunnel. Basically, a chamber with fans to create the wind to recreate the track conditions. You may ask why not run the cars in the test circuit. The Sporting Regulations of the FIA, Limit the running of the cars for testing. So to improve the car and test out the new parts there is a need for models and Wind Tunnels in Formula One.
Any feedback from the driver or Performance need is but down on the Upgrade path. The ideas are sketched roughly by hand by the engineering department and a computer model is generated. This computer model is run through airflow simulations to analyze the effectiveness. Then this model is 3d printed and stuck onto the model car in the Wind Tunnel to see if the desired results are achieved.
The CFD’s or Computational Fluid Dynamics and the Tunnel results are then compared to see if the Upgrade does have a desirable effect. In the real-life, as the car goes along the track, it moves through the air. In a Wind tunnel though, the air is moved through the car. To simulate the road the Wind tunnel uses a rolling road to create a track-like scenario.
Whereas the real chassis is carbon fiber, the tunnel model is made of a solid aluminum spine where the parts to be tested can be 3d printed and attached. The Model is packed with sensors and used to gather data in a test run. The model has some automation to change the ride height and other areas of the car. This helps the model to be realistic of the car on the track which has bumps and undulations in track. The real size model of the car cannot be used and only a 60% scale model should be used. The speed is also limited to 50m/s that is roughly 110Mph.
The Data
After each testing huge volumes of data are collected and analyzed. It all helps to build a picture of what flow is doing and based on the measurement decide a concept or an upgrade. Once the data is relevant and desirable it is then sent to the tracks.
In tracks, they don’t put it in the car and run the race. They are first to run in free practice sessions, more often you find cars running flow vis paints and Pitot Tubes and aero rakes on the back of the car. Then the data from these runs are analyzed and compared with the Wind Tunnel results and decisions are made.
The New Rules
FIA is concerned about the number of times the big-budget teams are exploiting the Wind Tunnel. In the cost cap era, FIA decided to stop full-scale models and limit the model to 60% of the size of the car. There are other restrictions to reduce the costs. Teams are now allowed to use only one Wind Tunnel and can’t run faster than 180KPh.
With cars hitting a top speed of 370Km/h on the straights it is impossible to simulate the conditions 100%. The data may be scaled to the appropriate amount but other external factors like turbulence in airflow and others unknown can’t be considered.
Before the new rules that came into effect this year, teams had several Wind Tunnels and testing was done quite literally 100% of the time. Since the upgrade path of the car is year-round. Now though, there is also a time limitation on how many tests a team can perform from the 2021 season. The number of runs that the team can perform now depends on their position in the Constructors Championship.
Conclusion:
In conclusion to this interview, it is likely that HAAS have reached an agreement aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the team, beneficial to both parties both in technical and evolutionary terms as well as in terms of marketing, economics and the development of engineers as well as potential future Japanese drivers from the Toyota Academy.
Simply reaching such an agreement could propel them out of mid-table into the top tier. However, in Formula 1, success depends on details.
While this deal is a testament to the team's strength, it could also have unintended consequences. We'll have to wait until 2025 to find out, unfortunately, but it's good to see this team securing its future, regardless of whether HAAS decides to sell their team or not, even if an agreement of this magnitude would be contradictory to a sale in the short, medium term from a cost-benefit point of view for Toyota, despite Ralf Schumacher's disagreement that, according to him, this agreement would mean an imminent sale of the American team. Personally, I don't believe it for a second, but if there's one thing F1 has taught me, it has a strong gift for surprising us.
Copyrights and Images:
-By Mytho88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1215976
-By Morio - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3693357
-By Rick Dikeman - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=193688
-CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=300566
-Par Jeff Wunrow from Minneapolis, MN, USA — Jarno Trulli - Toyota, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3250898
-By jwunrow - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1839537
-Par Jane Belinda Smith — originally posted to Flickr as P9133255, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4832334
-By Morio - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8040522
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