Toyota Gazoo Racing Joins Haas as 2026 Title Partner
Haas F1 Team will compete as TGR Haas F1 Team for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship after TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR), the motorsport competition and research and development division of Toyota Motor Corporation, takes title partnership rights with the American Formula 1 outfit. This move strengthens the growing relationship between Haas F1 Team and Toyota Gazoo Racing and signals a more profound commitment to shared performance and innovation in Formula 1.
Toyota brings more than 60 years of motorsport heritage to the partnership. Through Toyota Gazoo Racing, the brand currently fields front-running, championship-winning programmes in the FIA World Rally Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, reinforcing its credentials as a global force in elite competition.
Haas F1 Team and TGR began a multi-year technical partnership in October 2024. The new title agreement builds on the relationship’s core ‘People, Product, Pipeline’ objectives, which aim to develop drivers, engineers and mechanics while supporting a sustainable motorsport industry and culture.
The partners showcased this focus through the team’s first fully fledged Testing of Previous Car programme during the 2025 season. From 2026, the team will officially rename this initiative the ‘TGR Haas Driver Development Program’, aligning driver development more closely with Toyota Gazoo Racing’s long-term talent pathway.
The 2025 TPC programme ran for 14 days in the Haas VF-23 and visited Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Fuji Speedway, Imola and Mugello. Japanese racers Ryō Hirakawa, Ritomo Miyata, Sho Tsuboi and Kamui Kobayashi all took part through their TGR links, as the company backed their ambitions with Formula 1 opportunities.
“It’s naturally a privilege to deepen our relationship with TGR through this new title partnership agreement,” stated Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team. “Our working relationship to date has been everything we hoped it would be. It’s been evidenced by our successful TPC running this season. Still, there’s been so much more going on behind the scenes, including the development and installation of the simulator at our Banbury facility for 2026. The cultivation of personnel, all working collaboratively between Haas F1 Team and TGR, has benefited us greatly, and that’s something that will only increase as our partnership matures. We’re excited to further grow with the likes of our driver program too, and it’s been encouraging to see the depth of talent TGR is backing in that process.”
“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,” commented Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. “Seeing this transformation moved me deeply. And today, I can say this with confidence, Toyota has finally begun to shift – really move. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for standing alongside our young members, believing in their potential, and facing the future with the same passion and perspective.
“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. The time has come for the next generation to take its 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.”
TGR Haas F1 Team will unveil its VF-26 livery online on Friday, 23 January, before travelling to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain for private Formula 1 testing from 26 to 30 January. Each team may complete three days of track time there, followed by two further official tests in February at the Bahrain International Circuit.