The Haas F1 Team has revealed the livery for its 2026 challenger, the VF-26, marking the first year under its new title sponsor Toyota Gazoo Racing. The design emphasizes a white base with black and red accents and prominent GR logos. This online unveiling comes ahead of significant regulatory changes in Formula 1.
Haas became the third team to showcase its 2026 livery, following Red Bull and Racing Bulls, through a simple online event on January 19, 2026. The VF-26 features increased Toyota branding, including the angular GR logo on the front wing and shark fin, as well as logos on the engine cover and halo front. The color scheme shifts to more white than the 2025 version, replacing black areas with additional red to incorporate Toyota's colors, while retaining black and red accents on a white base.
The team, now officially the TGR Haas F1 Team, enters the season with unchanged drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, led by principal Ayao Komatsu. This follows a strong 2025 campaign where Haas finished eighth in the constructors' standings with 79 points—its best total since 2018. Owner Gene Haas noted the challenges of balancing 2025 competition with 2026 development: "Like all teams, we’ve faced the challenge of competing in 2025 while looking to design and now build these new-regulation entries for the 2026 season."
Development of the VF-26 began in the second half of 2024 with a small group, fully switching resources after the 2025 summer break, as technical director Andrea De Zordo explained. The car adopts pushrod suspension at both ends and wide front wing winglets. Komatsu highlighted the monumental effort for the tight turnaround: "It feels almost a bit surreal to be unveiling a new car this early in the year but it’s not any less exciting venturing into a new F1 campaign—especially one with such a change in regulations."
Fan reactions are mixed; some praised the clean look, with one Reddit user saying, "Haas has stepped up their game once again. I absolutely love how it looks," while others found it solid but not exceptional. As the smallest team, Haas faces heightened challenges from the 2026 regulations, including a 50-50 power split and energy management. Pre-season testing starts with shakedown in Barcelona from January 26-30, followed by Bahrain sessions, before the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8.
The partnership with Toyota, initiated at the end of 2024, includes technical support like a new simulator in Banbury by summer 2026, aiding Haas's customer model with Ferrari power units.
