Toyota announce F1 return in major team partnership

Toyota has announced it is returning to F1 as the "official technical partner" of Haas. 

The Japanese manufacturer, the largest car group in the world, is to join forces with the American team through its Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) arm and will provide "design, technical and manufacturing" services on a multi-year agreement to start with immediate effect. 

As a result, the branding of TGR will feature on the machines of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg for the upcoming United States Grand Prix. 

RacingNews365 previously reported that Toyota was seeking a return to grand prix racing after being enticed back by the 2026 chassis rules, although there was understood to be no plan to become a power unit manufacturer for the revamped engines.

It had previously competed in F1 between 2002 and 2009 as a full works entry but despite a huge budget, the project failed to deliver a race win and ended with its withdrawal as a result of the global financial crash after the '09 campaign. 

Since then, Toyota has been successful in other forms of motorsport, including the World Endurance Championship, with five straight wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2018 and 2022. 

In the World Rally Championship, TGT returned in 2016 and has won every drivers' title since 2019, including the last two for Kalle Rovenpera.

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Komatsu reacts to Haas-Toyota

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu revealed that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had been kept in the loop regarding the news and was fully on board given the recent renewal of the technical partnership between Haas and Ferrari.

"I’m hugely excited that Haas F1 Team and Toyota Gazoo Racing have come together to enter into this technical partnership,” explained Komatsu.

"To have a world leader in the automotive sector support and work alongside our organisation, while seeking to develop and accelerate their own technical and engineering expertise, it’s simply a partnership with obvious benefits on both sides. 

"The ability to tap into the resources and knowledge base available at Toyota Gazoo Racing, while benefiting from their technical and manufacturing processes, will be instrumental in our development and our clear desire to further increase our competitiveness in Formula 1.

"In return, we offer a platform for Toyota Gazoo Racing to fully utilise and subsequently advance their in-house engineering capabilities.

"I’m naturally pleased that we’ve had the support of the likes of Formula 1 and our long-term partner, Scuderia Ferrari – who we announced our further continuation with earlier in the season, in the formation of this new technical partnership – designed to achieve continued success in our Formula 1 endeavours. 

"Together with Gene Haas, I’d specifically like to thank [F1 CEO] Stefano Domenicali and Frederic Vasseur on that front, and with Toyota, I’d like to thank Akio Toyoda (chairman – Toyota Motor Corporation), Tomoya Takahashi (president – Gazoo Racing Company) and Masaya Kaji (project manager – Gazoo Racing Company)."