Haas and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing have teamed up to advance motorsport and allow children to chase their dreams of driving the world's fastest cars. Akio Toyoda shares his intent behind the decision.
Morizo clears the air
Next to take the mic was Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo. He touched on the nature of racing drivers and the atmosphere that had pervaded Toyota’s pits since the company withdrew from F1 back in 2009.
Morizo
Although I'm not a professional racing driver, I'm surrounded by numerous professional racers who don't mind driving with me.
Recently, among them are both drivers who grew up with Honda and racing drivers who have long been with Toyota.
There's something I sense when talking to professional racing drivers.
It's that everyone wants to drive the world's fastest cars.
I think that's the way drivers are.
That said, I'm the person who quit F1. So, I think that drivers were never able to frankly talk about it in front of me. It was like there was always this inhibiting atmosphere in our pit.
In January this year, I said in front of everyone that I had finally gotten back to being an ordinary guy who loves cars.
I think that, somewhere deep in his heart, that ordinary older car-loving guy Akio Toyoda had always regretted having blocked―by pulling out of F1―Japanese youths' path toward driving the world's fastest cars.
That said, with the media watching my every step, I dare to add that I still believe my decision as the president of Toyota to withdraw from F1 was not wrong.
Not very long ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Team Principal Komatsu. He himself is someone who has carved out big dreams. But behind him was his father, who always allowed him to chase those dreams freely.
Both Mr. Komatsu and I have come to share the same desire to be a "father" who allows children to chase their dreams. Mr. Komatsu, I owe you my thanks.
The Super Formula drivers over there (Fuji Speedway), both the Toyota and the Honda drivers, all grew up as kids driving karts.
I believe there are many children all over the country who, admiring them, also drive karts. I think that, together with Mr. Komatsu and his team, we need to increase the number of such children.
But before that, I would like to see the day when a Super Formula driver grips the steering wheel of the world's fastest car.
Mr. Komatsu and all the members of Haas, I look forward to working with you for the sake of the Japanese motorsports world.
And....to the media!
Please make sure that tomorrow's headlines don't read: "Toyota Finally Returns to F1". Rather, it would be great to see headlines and articles that inspire Japanese children to dream of the possibility that they, too, could one day drive the world's fastest cars.
This wasn’t the first time that Morizo had spoken his mind about the F1 withdrawal. In September 2023, when Ryo Hirakawa became a McLaren reserve driver after spending his entire career with Toyota-affiliated teams, Morizo shared the following comment:
“As a driver myself, even though no one ever mentions it when I speak with other drivers, I could sense these reservations between us.”
On that occasion, he made a distinction between his positions as Toyota’s chairman and driver Morizo. This time around, an “ordinary car-loving guy” was added to the mix.
Now that this “ordinary car-loving guy” is able to help racing drivers achieve their dreams, the inhibiting atmosphere may be starting to clear.