Are Toyota next?

[david1275]

The loss of a team is always sad to see, even if I was never a big fan of Toyota. I have always wondered why Toyota didn't do better than they did. When the announcement was made that they were to pull out of WRC to compete in F1 my initial thought was that before long they would have been a force to be reckoned with. It obviously was not to be as they never really blossomed into the team I and most thought thet would. I think the problem was always people, they were never short on development funding, just the people to make it all count. Hopefully this will give Sauber the chance to make it to the 2010 grid, I believe they would have been a bigger loss than Toyota as they were.

My big question now would be, will someone give the mad man Kobayashi a drive for next year. I think I would miss him you know.

[FW14B]

He certainly deserves a drive in 2010, but I am not sure now who will be around to give him one.  Especially if Renault are now to pull out as well.

[Scott]

NOT SO FAST, SAUBER...

In a statement from the FIA that wreaks of Max, Sauber's supposed automatic entry has been put on hold.  Or maybe it's Todt - they say he has an ironclad memory after all - making Sauber sweat for not holding up a Mclaren at Ferrari's (Todt's) request (demand) mid-race, so many years ago that started the unwind of the Ferrari/Sauber partnership when Sauber refused.  I'm not sure, but if it is clear that Toyota is not going to be on the grid in 2010 under any other guise, then the FIA's statement and position is little more than meddlesome.  If you ask me, Jean Todt has just failed his first test at being open and fair.  It looks like they are trying to pry open the door of budget caps again.

From F1 Live:

Toyota's failure to honour its agreement to remain in Formula One until 2012 will be looked at by FIA legal advisers, the sport's governing body has revealed.

Over the course of this year's strong confrontation between the FIA and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) over radical cost-cutting scenarios, the teams pushed hard for their preferred measures to be put in place and eventually signed an amended Concorde Agreement which committed them to the sport until the end of the 2012 season.

However, Japanese carmaker Toyota announced on Wednesday that it is exiting Formula One with immediate effect and put the blame on the economic situation for its decision.

The position left vacant by Toyota opens the door for the BMW Sauber team, which had not signed the Concorde Agreement in the wake of the German manufacturer's planned departure and found itself with a 'reserve' position on the 2010 grid instead.

With Toyota gone, the Sauber operation is expected to take over the space left vacant, and Team Principal Mario Theissen has already confirmed he will enter into discussions with the FIA on the matter. However, the FIA has now indicated that it wants to look at Toyota's situation first.

"Urgent clarification is now being sought from the Toyota F1 team as to its legal position in relation to the championship.
This will have a direct bearing on the admission of any future 13th entry," read an FIA statement issued on Wednesday.

The governing body also once again underlined the importance of cost-cutting measures in Formula One.

"The FIA has repeatedly warned that motor sport cannot outpace the world economic crisis. That is why the competing teams have been asked to cut costs and the entry of independent teams has been encouraged," the press release explained.

"The FIA accepted the cost-reduction measures put forward by the teams on the basis that they would ensure a long-term commitment to the championship. Toyota's announcement demonstrates the importance of the original cost-reduction measures set out by the FIA.

"The FIA will now work to ensure that Toyota's departure is managed in the best interests of the championship and will continue to encourage the F1 teams to undertake the necessary cost-cutting measures for the good of the sport," the statement concluded.

[John S]

NOT SO FAST, SAUBER...

Or maybe it's Todt - they say he has an ironclad memory after all - making Sauber sweat for not holding up a Mclaren at Ferrari's (Todt's) request (demand) mid-race, so many years ago that started the unwind of the Ferrari/Sauber partnership when Sauber refused. .

Sounds like an attempt at race fixing to me and we know that can carry a indefinite ban.

Bit of luck then Jean that the rules never apply to members, and certainly not the President of the FIA.

[Jericoke]

From F1 Live:

Toyota's failure to honour its agreement to remain in Formula One until 2012 will be looked at by FIA legal advisers, the sport's governing body has revealed.

So the plan is to force Toyota to race when they don't want to?  That sounds safe.  That sounds like it will add to the spectacle.

[FW14B]

Can Toyota enter a couple of Priuses?