The strengthened partnership will see the American squad officially entered as TGR Haas F1 Team, marking the most significant step yet in the relationship that began with a multi-year technical agreement signed in October 2024.
The move also represents the first time a Toyota brand has been attached to an F1 entry since the manufacturer’s abrupt departure from the championship in 2009.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said the expanded title partnership reflects how deeply the two organisations have already become connected.
“It’s naturally a privilege to deepen our relationship with TGR through this new title partnership agreement,” he said.
“Our working relationship to-date has been everything we hoped it would be. It’s been evidenced through our successful TPC running this season but there’s been so much more going on behind the scenes too – including the development and installation of the simulator at our Banbury facility for 2026.”
View this post on Instagram
Don’t miss out on grandstand tickets for the 2026 Repco Bathurst.
Secure your spot today.
Komatsu added that the shared personnel development efforts have “benefited us greatly” and said the growing driver pathway, which will be rebranded as the TGR Haas Driver Development Program from 2026, is an important part of the teams’ plans moving forward.
Toyota’s motorsport arm, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), has been closely integrated with Haas through a wide-ranging programme aimed at developing drivers, engineers and mechanics under a shared ‘People, Product, Pipeline’ philosophy.
That collaboration has already delivered the team’s first full Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme in 2025, which ran across 14 days with the Haas VF-23 at circuits including Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Fuji Speedway, Imola and Mugello.
Japanese drivers Ryo Hirakawa, Ritomo Miyata, Sho Tsuboi and Kamui Kobayashi all took part through their TGR affiliations.
Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda, who has been instrumental in forging the alliance, said the progress made throughout 2025 reinforced his confidence in the long-term direction of the project.
“Throughout our challenges in the 2025 season, I witnessed young TGR drivers and engineers begin to believe in their own potential and set their sights on even greater dreams,” he said.
“Seeing this transformation moved me deeply. And today, I can say this with confidence, Toyota has finally begun to move – really move.”
Toyoda expressed gratitude to team owner Gene Haas and Komatsu for their support of Toyota’s young talent.
“By taking our partnership with Haas another step forward next year, TGR’s ‘People, Product, Pipeline’ mantra – will accelerate in a way we have never seen before,” he said.
“The time has come for the next generation to take their first steps toward the world stage. Together with Gene Haas, Ayao, and everyone at TGR Haas F1 Team, we will build both a culture and a team for the future. Toyota is now truly on the move.”
The newly named TGR Haas F1 Team will reveal its VF-26 livery online on January 23, before joining the rest of the grid for a five-day private test at Barcelona from January 26–30, ahead of the official Bahrain tests in February.
2025 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Schedule, how to watch, TV times & more
Discussion about this post