Toyota appears to be inching closer to a full-scale return to Formula 1, marking a significant shift in the company’s stance on its involvement in the premier motorsport. This comes after the Japanese automaker formed a technical partnership with Haas in 2024, a collaboration that has provided Toyota with valuable insights into the F1 ecosystem.
The partnership includes Toyota’s branding on Haas cars and team gear, a shared Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) development program, and the construction of an advanced F1 simulator at Haas’s Banbury base. Initially, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s global motorsport director, Masaya Kaji, maintained that the collaboration was limited to knowledge-sharing and supporting pathways for Toyota drivers into F1, with no immediate plans for a factory team or engine program.
However, in a recent interview with Autosport, Kaji signaled a more ambitious outlook.
“We are, of course, studying the technologies for 2026 and even current technologies,” he said. “I feel we’re gradually moving in that direction.”
Despite this progress, Kaji emphasized that a full Toyota return to F1 would not happen overnight.
“We’re not at a stage where we would redirect all our resources there. What happens after 2030 is still uncertain. We’re working on various new technologies, so whether our vector aligns with F1 remains to be seen.”
Kaji highlighted the benefits of a potential factory team, particularly in terms of driver development.
“If we had our own team, we could choose which drivers to put in the car. In that sense, it would indeed bring us closer to putting drivers in F1.”
However, he acknowledged the substantial investment and staffing required to re-establish Toyota as an F1 works team.
“We need to evaluate how much money and how many staff members would be required to make that happen. That’s why I don’t think we’re at the stage of saying, ‘Let’s start a team immediately.’”
For now, Toyota’s remains focused on building partnerships like its ongoing collaboration with Haas.
“Building partnerships and working with various teams is what’s important. We’re not in a stage to leap over those steps. We need to focus on doing what we should be doing right now,” Kaji concluded.
This cautious yet deliberate approach underscores Toyota’s intent to remain a major player in global motorsport, with a potential F1 resurgence on the horizon.
