Toyota’s global motorsport division is returning to its roots. In a move that highlights its long-standing belief that racing makes better cars, the Japanese company has announced that its motorsports division, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), will revert to its original brand name, Gazoo Racing, starting in 2026.
Toyota says the decision reflects a renewed focus on the philosophy that has guided Toyota’s motorsports journey from the very beginning – learning through competition and nurturing people through real racing challenges. The Gazoo Racing branding will be rolled out gradually across global activities, with the transition expected to be completed by January 2027.
The Gazoo name traces its origin to Toyota’s grassroots racing activities in the 2000s, when engineers and test drivers entered endurance races to push production-based vehicles beyond their limits. The culture of hands-on development was championed by company leadership, demonstrated famously by its chairman, Akio Toyota, who competed in endurance racing events under the pseudonym “Morizo.” Over time, Gazoo Racing grew from a small internal project into a unified global motorsport operation.
Despite the rebranding, Toyota says that its competitive ambitions still remain. Gazoo Racing will continue its full factory participation in top-tier racing events such as the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), using motorsport as a development platform to make better road cars that offer performance, durability, and hybrid technologies.
Customer racing programs and regional motorsport efforts will also continue under the refreshed identity. Going by Toyota’s statement, the local racing event, TGR Philippine Cup, will most likely be rebranded accordingly, although Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has yet to make an official announcement regarding the matter and the future of its long-running grassroots racing series.
The announcement also clarifies the structure of Toyota’s wider motorsport ecosystem. Toyota Racing, based in Cologne, Germany, will remain focused on advanced racing engineering and technology development, while Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing (TGRR) will continue its role as a training ground for aspiring young drivers and engineers. These entities will operate alongside Gazoo Racing, each with distinct responsibilities.
Importantly, the rebranding does not signal a withdrawal from any racing category. Toyota’s involvement in Formula One through a technical partnership with the Haas F1 team remains separate from this branding update and continues to serve as an engineer development initiative rather than a full-on works F1 team.
By returning to the simpler Gazoo Racing brand name, Toyota is emphasizing continuity rather than reinvention. For Toyota, motorsport remains central to how it develops its cars through competition, just as it did at the very start.
