McLaren and Toyota Racing Europe – 12 years of partnership

For more than a decade, the European division of Toyota Gazoo Racing has been providing technical support to Formula 1 teams. Once upon a time, the factory team of the Japanese concern and McLaren were rivals on the World Cup circuits, but at the end of 2009 Toyota left Formula 1, but a year later, the collaboration between the two companies began and continues to this day.

McLaren Racing actively uses the wind tunnel at Toyota’s technical center in Cologne: all the team’s cars, from the MP4-26 to the MCL60, have been developed on the basis of this research.

Rob LepinManaging Director of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe (TGR-E): “We are proud to have played a part in McLaren’s history in Formula 1 over a long period of time.

We have built a relationship of trust, working together for 12 years, which speaks of mutual trust between the two organizations as well as the great work that TGR-E and McLaren have done to make this partnership a success. We are sincerely grateful to McLaren for the trust they have shown.”

Andrew Stella, McLaren team principal: “The TGR-E wind tunnel and infrastructure have played a key role in the development of McLaren vehicles over the past 12 years. The machines made in this center in the period from 2011 to 2023 won 14 Grand Prix and finished in the top three 29 more times.

The support from the TGR-E has been invaluable, we have developed a good working relationship and we have also used the extra production capacity of the Cologne center when upgrading our machines.

As our own wind tunnel at the Woking base is about to be commissioned to improve the efficiency of all processes, we want to emphasize the value of the work done with TGR-E. She has made an important contribution to the team’s progress over the past period, so we thank Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe for their support.”
Also during the same period, McLaren engineers made extensive use of the TGR-E test benches to test engines, transmissions and various race car components.

While McLaren is now preparing to conduct research in its new wind tunnel, it is likely that collaboration between the two organizations will continue for the foreseeable future.

“Our doors remain open to McLaren,” added Lepin. “We wish the team the best of luck with their new wind tunnel, although the range of services McLaren asks of us will of course change.

But we have an open dialogue and are playing a constructive role in the process of integrating their new wind tunnel into the machine development program. I believe that through this work we have clearly demonstrated that Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe can provide valuable services in the execution of technical projects of the highest level. We look forward to working with innovative companies such as McLaren in the future.”