Ralf Schumacher slams Toyota's approach to F1

[Wizzo]

Ralf who is struggling to find a Seat for 2008 after a disappointing three year tenure at the Japanese team, said Toyota's unique philosophy makes it an unattractive destination for renowned figures like Ross Brawn.

Following a highly successful decade at Ferrari and a sabbatical in 2007, Brawn will return to the sport next year as Honda's team principal.

Schumacher, told the Cologne newspaper Express: "I know that Toyota is the only team that didn't even want to talk with Brawn."

"A contact was offered but there was no reaction to it -- not a single meeting took place," he marvelled.

The team's relationship with former technical director Mike Gascoyne famously ended early last year over what Toyota described as a "fundamental difference of opinion".

Gascoyne, now at Force India, said in 2007: "If they continue to follow their corporate philosophy I don't think they've got a hope in hell (of succeeding in formula one)."

Schumacher explains: "The structure of the team is clearly the result of what they call the Toyota Way.  That is why someone like Ross Brawn cannot go there."

"Brawn should have been a candidate for Toyota, given what he could do to strengthen the team.  But Toyota will never allow a one man show," he added.

[romephius]

It's a miracle....... actual words of (relative) wisdom from Ralph..... and I completely agree with him......

Just my opinion though

Rom

[Steven Roy]

How can a team as bad as Toyota not want to talk to Brawn??  McLaren not wanting to talk to him I could understand.  BMW maybe.  Beyond that I cannot understand any other team not talking to him.

Toyota must realise that they have failed to meet every target that they set themselves when they entered F1.  This is assumption on my part as I assume they did not target being hopeless non-entities in 6 years(or however long they have been around). 

I cannot understand how a company that was so successful in rallying has so little idea as to how to progress(let alone succeed) in F1. 

[cosworth151]

Remember, their success in the WRC ended when they got caught cheating. Their Indycar program flopped, and their NASCAR program is going down the tubes, too.