Toyota deepens connections in F1 by sponsoring Haas team in 2026

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is increasing its presence in Formula 1 after taking over the title sponsorship of the Haas team on Thursday.

It's another high-profile commitment to F1 by a major automaker as the General Motors-backed Cadillac team prepares to make its debut next year.

The team's new name in 2026 will be TGR Haas F1 Team. The TGR stands for Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is the racing division of the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Taking over the title sponsorship means Toyota is more involved in F1 than at any time since it pulled its team out after the 2009 season. Since then, its circuit racing efforts have largely focused on sportscar events, including five straight wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2018-22.

Haas and Toyota signed a technical partnership a year ago for research, engineering and driver development and the Haas car has carried some Toyota branding since. Toyota-linked Japanese drivers have taken part in tests using older Haas cars.

Haas continues to use Ferrari engines next year under a deal running through 2028, as it has done each year it's raced in F1. Haas has long worked closely with Ferrari and said last year Ferrari was consulted over the founding of its initial Toyota partnership.

Toyota ran its own team in F1 from 2002-09 but failed to win a race despite spending heavily. It eventually withdrew from the series while the parent company was under financial pressure.

“It's naturally a privilege to deepen our relationship with TGR through this new title partnership agreement,” Ayao Komatsu, team principal of Haas, said in a team statement, adding that the existing technical partnership has already “benefited us greatly.”

Akio Toyoda, the chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “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. Seeing this transformation moved me deeply. And today I can say this with confidence — Toyota has begun to move. Really move.”

Toyoda has said previously he had second thoughts about pulling Toyota out of F1. He said part of his regret was not giving young drivers a better chance to compete in F1.

The length of the sponsorship agreement wasn't immediately clear and the statement mentioned only 2026.

Haas has been in F1 since 2016 and is eighth in the constructors' standings this season, which included Oliver Bearman placing fourth in Mexico. That was Haas' best race result since 2018 even though he fell short of achieving the team's first podium finish.

The final race of 2025 is on Sunday in Abu Dhabi and three drivers are in contention for the world championship.

Lando Norris of McLaren leads by 12 points over Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Oscar Piastri of McLaren is 16 points behind. Norris and Piastri are trying for their first season titles, Verstappen is after his fifth straight.

AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Duesseldorf, Germany, contributed.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Haas driver Esteban Ocon of France steers his car during the second qualifying session at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Haas driver Esteban Ocon of France in action during the sprint qualifying for the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix in Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, Pool)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain smiles during an interview before the start of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Winner Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, centre, second placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and third placed Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain celebrate on the podium after the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

FILE - Then Toyota Motor Corp. Chief Executive Akio Toyoda delivers a speech on the stage at the Tokyo Auto Salon, an industry event similar to the world's auto shows on Jan. 13, 2023, in Chiba near Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court is investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling and other possible crimes tied to a government airline bailout.

The National Court in Madrid is probing possible financial wrongdoing in connection with the Spanish government’s rescue of the Plus Ultra airline, which in 2021 received 53 million euros (now $62 million) in public money as part of COVID-19 recovery funds.

The court said in a statement that the investigation was widened to include Zapatero, who was summoned to answer a judge’s questions on June 2. Police with warrants from the investigating judge searched Zapatero’s office on Tuesday.

Zapatero, 65, was prime minister from 2004 to 2011. He is a member of the Socialist party headed by current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

He denied any wrongdoing related to the bailout in a Senate hearing in March, saying he “never received any commissions from Plus Ultra.”

Plus Ultra is a Spanish-owned airline with investors from Venezuela. It specialized in flights between Spain and Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador.

Since leaving office, Zapatero has focused a large part of his activity on maintaining dialogue with the far-left regime in Venezuela, which was largely isolated from Western countries after it cracked down on the democratic opposition.

Zapatero had been out of public office for a decade when Plus Ultra received the bailout.

The former premier is considered a political ally of Sánchez, whose party has been rocked by other corruption scandals over the past two years.

FILE - Spain's former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero speaks to journalists in La Paz, Bolivia, Thursday, May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)