Last October, Haas and Toyota made public their collaboration, stating they would participate in “Knowledge Exchange and Resource Sharing for Shared Advancement”. This declaration, though worded in a certain style, lacked detailed information.
It soon became evident that one of the key goals of the new alliance was to create a novel driver-in-loop simulator, an essential tool currently missing at Haas. These simulators not only allow teams to determine a basic mechanical configuration before reaching a circuit, but also offer the capability to assess various setup options during an actual race weekend.
Moreover, as F1 prepares for the introduction of a fresh regulation set in 2026, which will include active aerodynamics, more compact cars, and augmented electrical power delivery from the powertrain, the simulator will develop into a crucial instrument for instructing drivers.
“It [power unit management] has become highly interconnected, substantially more than in previous times,” Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu communicated to chosen media sources, including Autosport.
“The driver’s actions now have greater impacts, both positive and negative, due to the restrictions on energy recovery and distribution. Consequently, it holds significant importance.”
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
The difficulty for Haas stems from its ongoing reliance on Ferrari’s simulator while its own is being set up at its Banbury headquarters. This arrangement is less than ideal for various reasons, not least because of the financial burdens linked to added travel in the current period of budgetary restrictions.
Access to the Ferrari simulator is restricted, and the procedure necessitates input from the team’s trackside engineering personnel, requiring further time away from their homes for individuals who are already committed to as many as 24 races each year.
Toyota possesses a simulator at its Cologne facilities; however, utilizing it would present comparable logistical hurdles. Haas’ benefit from collaborating with Toyota resides in the accelerated construction and commissioning process: a simulator demands specific structural and power accommodations within the building that houses it, the equipment itself is highly specialized, and achieving alignment between simulation and actual performance is both difficult and lengthy – hence Komatsu’s identification of the simulator as “definitely a paramount issue we [Haas and Toyota] are addressing”.
Earlier this year, new Aston Martin ‘managing technical partner’ Adrian Newey confessed frankly that his team’s new simulator was “deficient” and “not currently correlating”. This summer, he recruited Giles Wood, his former colleague from Red Bull, to oversee simulation and modeling duties.
“We are indeed lagging behind,” Komatsu acknowledged, “but we are aware of this.
“Naturally, we are attempting to put it into place. The simulator is on its way, but it’s not yet operational.
“Regarding preparations for the upcoming year, this undoubtedly presents a disadvantage for us, but that is the reality. We are endeavoring to progress as swiftly as feasible in order to implement it, but we have not yet succeeded. Without a doubt, it constitutes a substantial factor for the next year.”
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
The challenge for Haas lies in the expectation that the simulator will probably remain out of service until the coming year – Komatsu describes the second quarter as “hopeful”. Thus, while the advantages will unfold in the future, Haas will have to prepare for 2026 using its current setup.
“With regards to preparations for 2026, we are still largely dependent on our current resources, specifically our use of the Ferrari simulator,” Komatsu clarified.
“This certainly constitutes a limitation. I am not voicing any criticism of the Ferrari simulator, but simply noting the constraints in terms of location, availability, the number of hours we can utilize, cost-effectiveness, and so forth. Having it in-house is significantly more economical.
“This PU [power unit] presents a substantial challenge concerning energy recovery and distribution, implicating the driver entirely in the process. Consequently, the simulator plays a much more crucial role.
“That’s a dimension where we are deficient.”
