Toyota: Outside Line: Toyota Motorsport Odyssey needs Formula 1 crown

I have a feeling. Toyota are planning a return to Formula 1 before our very eyes. And in true Japanese fashion, it's not some Cadillac-style 11th team hyper-hyped affair. It's more subtle, measured, and a journey largely under the radar. But the signs are there. And they're getting bolder. Forget auto giant Toyota's vast global motorsport programme for a moment. Focus just on what they're doing in and around Formula 1. I reckon the seed was planted when Gene Haas realised that Guenther Steiner had turned his team into a clown show for his own amusement. With the Austrian out, Ayao Komatsu stepped up and recalibrated Haas, delivering a strong finish in his first year in charge. After finishing last and becoming the laughing stock of the Formula 1 paddock under Steiner, the new boss led them to P7 in 2024, and they are P6 after five rounds in 2025. The fact is, Haas is 'boxing well above its weight' and will always struggle fighting budgets they simply can't match. With level-headed Komatsu in charge, enter Toyota. Their arrival was marked by a big, obvious sticker on the back wing of the cars: Toyota Gazoo Racing. First, they were knocking at the door. Now they're inside the house, watching. Haas and the Japan connection Not long after, Ryo Hirakawa joined as reserve driver , further strengthening the Japanese influence. Quietly, but clearly, the "Nipponisation" of Haas is underway - from key personnel to the way they go racing: organised, efficient, getting the maximum out of limited resources. Gene Haas's racing empire spans Formula 1, NASCAR, and global brand sponsorship. He owns Haas F1 Team, founded in 2016, which competes in Formula 1 with Ferrari power units and technical support from Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe. In NASCAR, he co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing, originally Haas CNC Racing, competing in both the Cup and Xfinity Series with Ford Mustangs and winning two Cup championships. Haas Automation, his CNC machine company founded in 1983, serves as the main sponsor across all teams. Through motorsport, Gene Haas has built a powerful global platform linking competition success with business growth. Despite his formidable racing empire, it is a drop in the ocean compared to what Toyota can bring to the table. In money. In people. The expertise. The facilities. The tech. And sheer racing capability. Haas might seem reluctant to let go, but he could stay involved, just like Williams did with Renault, Honda and BMW over the years. Or McLaren with Porsche, Honda, Mercedes etc. Haas could evolve the same way: Toyota-powered, Toyota-funded, it would work. Show Gene Haas enough money and he will take it However, for a company like Toyota - who have conquered every other major motorsport frontier they've entered, setting new benchmarks of professionalism and success - the goal is surely bigger: their own team. A proper Toyota F1 Team, like before, but this time done right. This time run by Japanese leadership fluent in the motorsport industry's international language - English - and built on a culture of hard racing, meticulous organisation, and relentless improvement. Smart and articulate, Kamui Kobayashi fits that vision perfectly: articulate, a former Formula 1 driver, a World Endurance Champion, and multiple-time Le Mans winner for Toyota. As well as team principal. The way I see it, Toyota are slowly but surely embedding their people within Haas, readying themselves for the moment they tell Gene Haas: Name your price. And why wouldn't they? Toyota have dominated everywhere else with style and purpose, raising standards every time. Just as Ford once set the international motorsport template, Toyota have refined it for the modern era - from grassroots to the world stage. Once you study Toyota's global motorsport footprint, it becomes obvious: a second - and proper - Formula 1 foray is inevitable. It's already happening. You just have to look closely. Timeline: Toyota in Motorsport Key Milestones Toyota entered motorsport in 1957 and quickly found success, winning in Japan and setting speed records with the 2000GT. By the 1970s, Toyota became a rally force, founding Toyota Team Europe. The 1980s brought Safari Rally victories and Group C endurance prototypes. In the 1990s, Toyota claimed WRC titles with Carlos Sainz and came close at Le Mans with the GT-One. The 2000s saw Toyota debut in Formula 1, win the CART title, the Indy 500, and its first NASCAR Cup race. n the 2010s, Toyota returned to dominate WEC, WRC, and Dakar. In the 2020s, Toyota leads WEC's Hypercar era, rules WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1, wins Dakar multiple times, and re-enters Formula 1 through a technical alliance with Haas. 1957: Toyota enters international motorsport, competing in the Round Australia Trial with a Toyopet Crown. 1960s: Early successes include class wins at the 1963 Japanese Grand Prix and speed records with the 2000GT. Toyota also enters the 1968 Monte Carlo Rally. 1970s: They becomes a rally contender, with Ove Andersson leading the team. Toyota Team Europe (TTE) is founded in 1975. 1980s: Safari Rally victories and success in IMSA GTO racing. Toyota develops Group C prototypes for endurance racing. 1990s: Carlos Sainz wins the 1990 WRC title with Toyota and wins the WRC manufacturers' titles in 1993 and 1994. The GT-One nearly wins Le Mans in 1999. 2000s: Toyota debuts in Formula 1 in 2002. Simultaneously, wins the CART IndyCar title and the 2003 Indy 500. Toyota also joins NASCAR in 2004, achieving its first Cup Series win in 2008. 2010s: Toyota returns to endurance racing in WEC and rallying in WRC. Wins multiple WEC titles and secures Le Mans victories from 2018 onwards. Triumphs at Dakar in 2019 with the Hilux. 2020s: Toyota dominates WEC's Hypercar era, WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1, and Dakar with consecutive wins. In 2024, Toyota partners with Haas F1 Team, returning to Formula 1 in a technical capacity. Toyota's first Formula 1 project: Big money, little reward Toyota's initial foray into Formula 1, spanning from 2002 to 2009, stands as one of the most substantial financial investments in the sport's history. Estimates indicate that Toyota allocated approximately $3 billion over these eight seasons. In 2008 alone, the team's budget reached $445.6 million, surpassing that of all other competitors. Despite this significant expenditure, Toyota's F1 team did not secure a single race victory, achieving 13 podium finishes and three pole positions. The team's best result in the Constructors' Championship was a fourth-place finish in 2005. The global financial crisis and the lack of on-track success led Toyota to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season. 1999: Toyota announces plans to enter Formula 1. 2002: Debuts in F1 at the Australian Grand Prix, scoring a point on debut. 2005: Breakthrough year with multiple podiums. Finishes 4th in the Constructors' Championship. 2006-2008: Solid midfield performances. Supplies engines to Williams and Midland/Spyker. 2009: Despite strong performances, withdraws from F1 at the end of the season. 2024: Toyota returns to Formula 1 through a technical partnership with Haas F1 Team, providing engineering support without running a full works team. Toyota's Current Major Motorsport Programs Not directly involved in the hardware side of the team as of yet, Toyota supports Haas F1 Team through a technical partnership, offering engineering resources from TGR Europe (TGR-E) in Cologne. Haas continues to use Ferrari power units and remains an independent constructor. FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Toyota Gazoo Racing is a dominant force in WEC's Hypercar class with the GR010 Hybrid. After winning five consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours (2018-2022) and multiple WEC titles, the team continues to battle rivals like Ferrari, Porsche, and Peugeot. The team fields the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries and #8 GR010 Hybrid: Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa. FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT dominates WRC with the GR Yaris Rally1. The team has won four consecutive manufacturers' titles (2021-2024) and produced multiple drivers' champions, including Kalle Rovanperä. NASCAR Toyota fields the Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series with teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. The brand has won multiple Cup championships since its debut in 2007. IndyCar Toyota is not currently active in IndyCar. It previously won the 2003 Indy 500 and the IndyCar title but exited the series after 2005. Rally Raid / Dakar Rally Toyota Gazoo Racing has become a Dakar powerhouse, winning the Dakar Rally in 2019, 2022, and 2023 with the Hilux. Toyota Motorsport Facilities: Susono, Cologne and others TGR-E in Cologne, Germany, is the beating heart of its global motorsport operations. Originally founded as Toyota Team Europe in the 1970s, the facility was massively expanded during their Formula 1 era (2002-2009) and remains one of the most advanced motorsport hubs in the world. Today, TGR-E leads the development of Toyota's FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar projects, including the Le Mans-winning GR010 Hybrid. In addition, it now plays a pivotal role in Toyota's return to Formula 1 through its technical partnership with Haas F1 Team, offering engineering support, R&D expertise, and access to state-of-the-art wind tunnel facilities. The Cologne site houses everything from cutting-edge simulators to full composite manufacturing and engine testing. TGR-E also provides engineering services to external clients and supports Toyota's broader Gazoo Racing initiatives. Susono, located in Shizuoka Prefecture near Mount Fuji, is a crucial hub for the company's motorsport and advanced development activities. Home to the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, this facility plays a key role within the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) structure. State-of-the-art and benchmark-setting facilities It supports a wide range of motorsport programmes, including devel