Toyota Plans F1 Return but Why Did the Japanese Team Leave and Why Come Back Now?

With the growing interest in Formula 1, it is no surprise many of the world’s biggest car manufacturers want to be a part of the sport. Toyota is reportedly planning to become part of the circus once again.

The Japanese car manufacturers are in talks with the Haas F1 team. It was initially understood Toyota would return as the American outfit’s title sponsor. However, that idea is being refuted by recent reports which suggest Toyota is ready to become actively involved with F1 again as an engine supplier.

The car manufacturers are planning to take over the engine duties for Haas from 2026. Moreover, they are also keen on playing an active part in the upcoming season with Haas after initial positive talks.

If Toyota do end up returning to F1, it will be the first time since 2009. Here is a look at the Japanese car manufacturer’s previous stint in the sport.

The rise and fall of the Toyota F1 team from 2002 to 2009

Panasonic Toyota Racing became a Formula 1 team in 2002 after announcing their plans in 1999. The Japanese car giants took a few years to develop their F1 engines and chassis for their debut in the pinnacle of motorsport.

This was the Japanese company’s third foray into motorsport, having competed in the World Rally Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Success was expected from the world’s largest car manufacturing company.

They did meet the high standards and expectations with a points-scoring finish in their first-ever race in F1. However, it all went downhill from there.

The Japanese manufacturer found it extremely difficult to navigate through the complexities of F1. The Toyota works team never won a race and finished second a total of five times in the eight years they competed in the sport. Their best finish in the Constructors’ Championship was fourth.

Since they spent such a whopping amount and yet failed to achieve success, it is important to analyze the reasons behind it. Formula 1 was rapidly growing with the teams expanding their financial and technical know-how.

It was then that Toyota entered the sport with high ambitions and decided to build their chassis and engine. Initially, Toyota tested the V12 for their F1 entry. However, due to lobbying from the teams and regulatory changes, only V10 engines were allowed.

This was the official reason for the delay in Toyota’s planned entry in F1 from 2001 to 2002. Meanwhile, their test car was also not up to the mark on the chassis end. It was too heavy and did not have enough downforce. This triggered a slew of changes.

The struggles with the chassis led to the departure of their technical director Andre de Cortans. Gustave Brunner from Minardi replaced him. Brunner was a highly-rated designer but wasn’t perhaps the ideal choice as the technical director. The team only managed to register two points in the first season, which wasn’t good enough.

The team often faced criticism for their driver pairing as well. Over the eight years, Cristiano Domato, Riccardo Zonta, Kamui Kobayashi, Mika Salo, Allan McNish, Jarno Trulli, Olivier Panis, Timo Glock, and Ralf Schumacher all drove for them.

Even though there were some talented drivers and race winners, none seemed to perform well enough for Toyota. Despite the same, Toyota were reluctant to take the blame for it. Instead, they continued to point fingers at their drivers.

Moreover, there were also reports of massive corporate interference in the Toyota F1 team. These factors coupled with the financial crunch led to the Japanese brand pulling out of F1. Then, why is Toyota considering to return to F1 in 2025?

The reason why Toyota is keen to return

Formula 1 has become one of the most lucrative and popular sports around the globe. However, its commercial value is not why Toyota wants to return to F1.

Their motivation is more technical and caters to the larger picture which is car manufacturing for the masses. So, the reason the Japanese company wants to return to the sport is because it’s the pinnacle of motorsport.

The world’s biggest car manufacturers want their hands on the technology that will define the next generation of road cars. The FIA revealed the major regulations overhaul for the 2026 season and beyond.

The new regulations are heavily reliant on electric power running and fully sustainable fuels. This will force the current engine manufacturers to do immense research and development into lightweight, high-density, and fast-charging batteries. These solutions will have a major impact on the next generation of EV cars.

Although performing the research and development for the future generation of F1 cars will cost a lot of money, the technology they use for the same will also carry forward to road cars. Therefore, getting into F1 will allow Toyota to get a jump start on developing a superior battery-powered engine.

Additionally, their rivals Honda are already part of the grid as they have joined hands with Aston Martin. This would’ve given Honda the upper hand over Toyota. These are the predicted reasons behind Toyota’s sudden interest in F1.