The Haas Formula 1 Team continues to invest in the development of its own in-house driving simulator, a project made possible thanks to the technical support and expertise provided by Toyota. This new technological tool is seen as a key priority for the team as it looks to close the performance gap to the front-runners in the Formula 1 World Championship. The importance of such a simulator is expected to grow even more in 2026, when new technical regulations will shift a greater share of energy management responsibilities directly onto the drivers.
The development of a dedicated simulator has been placed at the top of Haas’s list of priorities. According to the team, maximizing the car’s performance through more effective race weekend preparation is one of the essential steps required to become more competitive. Toyota’s engineering knowledge has been instrumental in helping Haas move forward in this area.
Andrea De Zordo, Haas’s Technical Director, recently spoke about the simulator project during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. He explained: “Right now, our relationship with Toyota is primarily focused on TPC testing and the development of our own simulator. It’s something we currently lack, and it could be extremely important for us in terms of race preparation.”
At present, the Haas F1 Team relies on Ferrari’s older simulator, but access is limited, as it must be shared with Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) program. This creates a major constraint, as noted by De Zordo, who believes it negatively impacts Haas’s ability to prepare properly for each Grand Prix event:
“If you arrive at a race weekend having completed a productive simulator session, you’re better prepared right from the start. You can begin with a more accurate setup and allow the driver to make the most of his time on track. Right now, that’s something we’re missing.”
According to the technical director, one of the decisive elements for a team’s competitiveness is how effectively it can extract the potential of its car. De Zordo added:
“At the moment, we’re clearly behind the leading teams—but why exactly? I don’t think it’s purely down to our car’s performance. I believe it’s a combination of factors. One of them may be that if we could simply start the weekend better, the driver could focus on building confidence with the car, rather than wasting time searching for the right setup or balance.”
This level of preparation is not only essential for refining race setups, but also for validating car upgrades before they are introduced on track. De Zordo emphasized:
“Having a simulator that we can use properly and consistently would be extremely valuable for our team.”
The challenge of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations
Looking ahead, Andrea De Zordo believes that the upcoming changes in the Formula 1 technical regulations, set to take effect in the 2026 season, will make having a proprietary simulator even more critical.
“With the new rules coming next year, simulator preparation could become even more relevant than it is today. I also think that preparation for the primary drivers will be increasingly important.”
This need goes beyond simply adjusting the car’s balance or aerodynamic setup. In fact, the new regulations will directly impact how drivers manage energy during each lap. Unlike today’s systems, the 2026 power units will not allow the electronic control unit (ECU) to suddenly cut electric power on the straights in order to recharge the battery. Instead, drivers will need to lift off the throttle manually and optimize energy usage through their driving style.
This new dynamic introduces a layer of complexity similar to that found in Formula E, where both teams and drivers spend significant time in the simulator to refine energy management strategies and improve race efficiency. According to Haas and Toyota, this same simulator-driven approach will become a necessity in Formula 1 starting in 2026.
For that reason, Haas’s collaboration with Toyota and the development of its own in-house simulator have become not just a strategic investment, but a vital step in preparing the team and its drivers for the major technical and operational challenges that lie ahead in the next era of Formula 1.
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