Toyota becomes Haas title sponsor and flirts close to an actual F1 return – Jalopnik

Toyota Gazoo Racing announced on Thursday that it will become the title sponsor of the Haas F1 team from next season. The agreement will strengthen the already existing relationship between Toyota and the American F1 team. The Japanese automaker’s motorsports division signed a multi-year technical partnership with Haas last year; before that point, Toyota had not been involved in F1 since the factory team left the sport in 2009. Haas will continue to compete with Ferrari engines.

After one year, Haas’s performance on the track has noticeably improved. Although the team may be one place lower in the Constructors’ Championship, Haas has increased its points tally by 25% with one race to go. Thanks to Toyota, the North Carolina team has more resources than ever before since the team’s debut in 2016. For example, next year the team will install its first-ever personal simulator at its European base in Banbury, UK. Haas has long relied on the use of Ferrari’s simulator in Maranello. According to The official website of F1Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said:

“Throughout our challenges in the 2025 season, I saw young TGR drivers and engineers begin to believe in their own potential and set their sights on even bigger dreams.

Seeing this transformation moved me deeply. And today I can say this with confidence: Toyota has finally started moving – really moving. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for standing with our young members, believing in their potential and approaching the future with the same passion and perspective.”

The other options Toyota could ultimately take are much more expensive and require the team to produce an F1-capable hybrid-turbo V6 engine. Audi secured access to the world championship by acquiring Sauber, an existing team. Cadillac joined Andretti Global when the team was formed from scratch. As Honda has learned time and time again, team partnerships can be fragile. While the partnership with Red Bull led to multiple championships and helped secure a racing seat for Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull decided to part ways and Tsunoda is now on the sidelines.