Toyota, the Japanese automaker, is making a comeback to Formula 1 after a 15-year hiatus by becoming a “technical partner” of the American racing team Haas. The partnership will see Toyota branding on the Haas cars starting from the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The racing division of Toyota will provide design, technical, and manufacturing services to the Haas team, which is based in North Carolina.
However, it’s important to note that this collaboration does not signify the return of the Toyota works team that competed in F1 for eight seasons until 2009. Haas will continue to race under its own name, and Toyota will not be supplying engines as it did in the past. Haas already has an agreement with Ferrari to use their engines through 2028, as part of a partnership that began in 2016. In fact, the Ferrari deal was recently extended in July to cover the new F1 regulations set to come into effect in 2026.
The announcement of the “multi-year agreement” suggests that Toyota might look to place a driver with Haas in the future, even though the team currently has no available seats for next year. The head of Toyota’s Gazoo racing division, Tomoya Takahashi, mentioned in a statement that Toyota aims to develop drivers, engineers, and mechanics through this partnership with Haas. As of now, Haas has signed Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman and the experienced Esteban Ocon from Alpine as its drivers for the 2025 season.
When Toyota initially entered F1 in 2002, it invested heavily in an effort to build a championship-winning team. Despite coming close on several occasions, Toyota never managed to secure a race victory. The automaker surprised the racing world by abruptly announcing its departure from F1 at the end of the 2009 season as part of a cost-cutting initiative, even though the car for the following season was almost complete. Since then, Toyota has shifted its focus to other forms of auto racing such as NASCAR, the Le Mans 24-hour race (where it competes against Ferrari), and rallying.
The Toyota-Haas F1 partnership announcement comes shortly after Toyota, along with two other major Japanese companies, decided to withdraw sponsorship funds from the Olympics. This move indicates Toyota’s shifting priorities and renewed focus on the world of motorsports.
