The Formula One community has recently been abuzz with rumours of a possible collaboration between Toyota and McLaren, sparked by the addition of Ryo Hirakawa, a prominent Toyota sports car driver, to the McLaren line-up. Speculation was further fuelled when Toyota racing officials were seen accompanying Hirakawa during his introduction to the McLaren team.
Hirakawa didn’t hold back on his ambitions at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, telling as-web.jp, “My goal is to explore my limits in Formula One.”
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The rumour
The seeds of this story were sown with the recruitment of Ryo Hirakawa, a driver with deep roots in Toyota’s sports car programmes, as a development driver for McLaren. The presence of Toyota racing officials at the announcement added further weight to the rumour mill, with tongues wagging about the possible implications for the future of both companies in F1.
Hirakawa’s ambitions were clear. Speaking to the press, he expressed a desire to push his F1 career to the limit, a statement that did little to quell the rising tide of speculation. The story seemed plausible: Toyota, which left F1 in 2009 in the midst of the global financial crisis, could see a strategic opportunity to re-enter the sport through an association with a storied team like McLaren, which has been on the up in recent years after a period of struggle.
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However, any suggestion of a Toyota-McLaren alliance has now been put to rest with what could be a largely ‘low ambition’ move, deciding to remain a customer F1 team and not a works manufacturer team.
McLaren has confirmed the extension of their engine partnership with Mercedes, signing a deal that will run until the end of 2030. Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, explained the reasons for their commitment:
“Given the excellence we’ve come to expect, both technically and operationally, the choice was clear when considering the upcoming 2026 regulations.”
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This clarity comes against the backdrop of Aston Martin, another Mercedes customer team, opting for Honda engines from 2026. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, both team principal and shareholder, was enthusiastic about the ongoing partnership with McLaren.
“Maintaining strong relationships with high-profile customer teams is a strategic pillar of our motorsport activities,” explained Wolff.
Emphasising the benefits of such collaborations, he added: “They provide a solid performance benchmark, enhance our technical growth and strengthen the Formula One offering for Mercedes-Benz.”
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