The challenges facing Haas ahead of F1 2026

Car launch season for the 2026 Formula 1 campaign is firmly under way after Red Bull and its sister outfit Racing Bulls revealed their liveries in Detroit on Thursday night.

Red Bull unveiled a refresh design incorporating new partner Ford’s blue, while Racing Bulls stuck to a predominantly white livery featuring black and blue accents.

Red Bull reveals refreshed 2026 F1 livery at Detroit launch

Racing Bulls F1 team sticks to white for 2026 livery

And now up next is Haas, who will launch its 2026 livery on Monday in an online event rather than something extravagant like the Red Bull-owned teams or others on the grid.

So here is a look at the American outfit ahead of the forthcoming season.

What’s new at Haas?

There is a new title sponsor at Haas, which has strengthened its ties with Toyota having signed a technical partnership in 2024 – a deal that’s provided many benefits to the American squad, particularly with the simulator. 

Developing a new driver in-loop simulator was one of the priorities soon after the partnership was signed, because this was something Haas severely lacked, having previously relied on Ferrari’s in Maranello thanks to its power unit deal.

Obviously this was not the ideal scenario considering the Haas factory is in Oxfordshire, so Toyota has been helping the team, which only joined the grid in 2016, build its first dedicated F1 simulator at Banbury. 

It also meant Haas received a new reserve in Ryo Hirakawa, a Toyota Hypercar driver who has twice won the World Endurance Championship title with the Japanese marque. Such a role meant he contested four FP1 sessions in 2025 with Haas, which also received an alternative way of buying car parts with the Toyota deal. 

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Instead of owner Gene Haas having to pay Dallara or Ferrari for specific parts, if the component has come from Toyota then it just comes out of the sponsorship money. In return, the partnership has meant Toyota can send its engineers to learn F1 processes and design ideas, while not having to buy its way onto the grid – as, say, Cadillac.

So the deal has been really mutually beneficial, but 2026 will see it go to the next level with the squad now officially becoming the TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) Haas F1 Team. It is a landmark deal for Haas, who will have Toyota take over the branding of its 'Testing of a Previous Car' programme and the Japanese manufacturer is expanding on its commitment to give its engineers, mechanics and drivers valuable F1 experience. 

It means MoneyGram is no longer the title partner after a deal that started in 2023. 

What’s the biggest challenge to Haas?

Although the Toyota partnership has helped Haas in a lot of ways, it still has the challenge of trying to beat competitors such as Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari who boast much stronger facilities and bigger workforces.

It therefore makes it almost impossible for Haas to become a race-winning outfit, because it simply does not have the prestige or tools at its disposal and this is something that may only develop over a long period of time. 

The pitwall, for example, was previously evident of the disadvantage Haas held, considering it only had three people sat up on the gantry – as opposed to six or more – in a pure cost-saving exercise. For 2025, it moved up to a six-person pit gantry, but it is still having to be much more efficient with its funding than other teams. 

What’s the strongest asset to Haas?

Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team

The strongest asset to Haas is no doubt team principal Ayao Komatsu, who has been in the role since the start of 2024 after replacing the straight-talking Gunther Steiner. Steiner had been involved at the American outfit since its F1 debut and, although there was the high of finishing fifth in the 2018 standings, times became rough towards the end, having finished last in two of the three seasons before his departure.

So the arrival of Komatsu, who previously served as the trackside engineering director, provided a much-needed fresh start for Haas, partly thanks to him being the polar opposite of Steiner. Komatsu’s impact was seen straight away: Haas jumped up to seventh in the 2024 championship, he made sure to maximise the tools already at its disposal rather than falling out with the owner over a perceived lack of investment, and work with Gene more to improve communication to get him to understand what it takes to be successful. 

The 49-year-old has ultimately changed things across the board and 2025 was further evidence thanks to an all-new driver pairing. Out went Nico Hulkenberg to Sauber, Kevin Magnussen was dropped, and in came grand prix winner Esteban Ocon plus exciting youngster Oliver Bearman.

Both drivers worked well together last year, as Haas scored its most points in a campaign since 2018 and Bearman’s fourth-place finish in Mexico was no doubt the highlight. But even if Haas was to have a different combination, one still gets the feeling that it would be okay thanks to the leadership of Komatsu and the changes he has implemented – the Toyota deal being yet another example of that. 

What’s the goal in F1 2026 for Haas? 

Success for Haas is extremely relative given its size compared to other teams, so in 2026 the goal should simply be more of the same. In the 2025 standings, the American squad finished eighth and although that was one spot lower than the year before, Haas scored 21 more points in what was a much more competitive season – evident through ninth-placed Sauber scoring a Silverstone podium.

Although a podium did not fall Haas’ way, it still scored some great results like fourth in Mexico, sixth in Brazil and the Netherlands, plus fifth in China. That is a top return, and considering Haas boasts two drivers who are capable of delivering points on their day, the team just needs to ensure that Bearman and Ocon both have a car that can help them achieve it.

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