Will it or won’t it? That’s the big question in the racing world this week as Toyota reportedly prepares to announce plans to reenter Formula 1 racing. It would mark a return after a failed effort ended 15 years ago. But Toyota is said to be partnering up this time, likely with the American F1 Haas team.
A new report suggests Toyota is preparing to re-enter Formula 1 racing with help from a new partner
It’s the world’s premier racing series and as exclusive a club as one can find in the motor sports world. For Toyota, walking away from Formula 1 after a failed campaign ended 15 years ago has remained a huge embarrassment. Now, however, the Japanese giant appears ready to lick its wounds and give it another try.
While it has yet to make a formal announcement, multiple sources indicate Toyota is ready to line up on the starting grid during the 2026 season – but won’t go it alone this time. Instead, if news reports and comments from several company insiders are accurate, it will team up with Haas Formula LLC which currently competes as the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.
Playing it safe(r)
Toyota has focused on putting racing back on its priority list with the Gazoo Racing lineup of models being a small example of this in action.
Even with rules set in place limiting the amount any team can spend, Formula 1 is a phenomenally expensive sport – and a risky one for those who aren’t already in the game. It requires tremendous development work on everything from the race car’s chassis to its wind-cheating aerodynamic design.
The engine is where the real work needs to be done, however, and, if the reports that first appeared on Hungarian website Formula are accurate, that’s where the supposed partnership with Haas will come into play.
Toyota apparently plans to purchase its engines from the existing team, something that could not only save it substantial amounts of money but help it get into the game years sooner than if the Japanese automaker had to develop an F1 entry entirely from scratch.
Who’s Haas?
Haas racing is one of the smaller teams on the F1 circuit but its profile stands to grow if it partners up with Toyota.
Hass became the first U.S. entry into Formula 1 since the collapse of the US F1 project in 2010. There hadn’t been an actual American constructor to compete since the earlier Haas Lola team exited in 1986.
Co-founded by Gene Haas, the team grew out of his efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, it made its first race in the 2016 season. There was a shake-up early this year, the original team principal Guenther Steiner being replaced by Ayao Komatsu.
With this year’s drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, Haas has remained a team to watch but has yet to actually win a grand prix.
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Shaking up F1
Until now, Haas has had an ongoing relationship with Ferrari – using the Italian team’s engines — and is sometimes referred to as the legendary Italian racing operation’s farm team. But there’s a lot of change underway.
Ford, for one, has set up an alliance with Red Bull Racing, the reigning world champions. The team has been using Honda engines – power units in F1 vernacular – but will switch to Ford-branded engines in 2026.
Toyota has retained a small presence in F1 due to a tie-up with McLaren. That appears likely to go away if a Toyota-Haas deal works out.
And then?
Haas and Toyota say the report is false but prior social media activity and rumors suggest a partnership is in the works.
Toyota doesn’t come in cold. Even beyond its existing link to McLaren it has a wind tunnel and some other useful facilities in Cologne, Germany originally built for its earlier F1 program.
According to RacingNews365, meanwhile, that wind tunnel has been used by Mario Andretti, himself a Formula 1 veteran, as part of his so-far failed bid to start his own F1 team.
For its part, Haas has declined to discuss the rumors about Toyota beyond called them “speculative.” The Japanese automaker hasn’t added much of its own, though several well-placed sources within the company have all but confirmed something is in the works through their Facebook and other social media accounts.
In comments to PlanetF1, the carmaker stated, “There is nothing to say on this matter beyond the fact that Toyota will continue making ever-better cars and developing people through motorsport.”
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