Are Toyota next?

[Andy B]

This has just come up, is it going to 2010 a final season or are they going straight away?
I'm sure Kamui Kobayashi will not have trouble finding a drive after his showing in the last two gp's.
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091103090718.shtml

[FW14B]

I do not like to see teams drop out, but would Toyota be missed, especially if it meant that Sauber would be on the grid next year? 

[littledave]

would Toyota be missed? 

To put it bluntly. No.

[cosworth151]

Toyota has been a text book example of how not to run an F1 team.

Much will depend on how they exit the sport. Will they just pull the plug, like BMW, or do a symbolic £1 sale of the team like Honda. In that case, the team would retain its slot on the grid.

Being based in Cologne, make that 1€

[Dare]

It is a shame if they leave seeing how their
starting to get results,but what's the first
thing they do?dismiss Trulli and Glock

Please just leave and let Sauber a team that
wants to race have the spot

[Jericoke]

Toyota, like Honda, has the tools in place to win.  They just can't leave the racing to the racers.  (If I was sinking that kind of money into something, it would be hard for me to keep my hands off too.)  Brawn succeeded when Honda gave him a free hand.  Fiat doesn't micromanage Ferrari.  I'm pretty sure Renault doesn't micromanage their F1 team (although they probably wish they'd had a leash on Flav now...).  If Toyota is planning to pull out, I hope they give it one last chance, cut a cheque this November and then check in again in November 2010.

It would be a tragedy for Kobayashi to leave the sport.  When you compare this... 

The 23-year-old told reporters before leaving the Yas Marina Circuit that he has "no budget" to fall back on GP2 in 2010. "I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant, said Kobayashi. "It was like that two months ago."

...to anything that rookies like Piquet Jr, or even Bruno Senna has to say, it makes me cry about the 'Little Princess' direction of the sport.

[John S]

Toyota, like Honda, has the tools in place to win.  They just can't leave the racing to the racers. 

It would be a tragedy for Kobayashi to leave the sport.  When you compare this... 

The 23-year-old told reporters before leaving the Yas Marina Circuit that he has "no budget" to fall back on GP2 in 2010. "I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant, said Kobayashi. "It was like that two months ago."

Let's hope Toyota have learnt the Honda lesson, they got slammed in the media and public opinion in Japan over the Super Aguri/Sato fiasco, and allow the team to continue in some way in 2010.

Kobyashi could just be the best find in F1 since Kimi got the nod from Peter Sauber with very little previous race winning experience to his name.

[Chris Borg]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80002

Another one bites the dust.

[FW14B]

Wow, despite the speculation over recent months, it is still not nice to see another team pull out of F1.  I have never been a fan of Toyota, but I am sure there are a lot of good people there within the team who look like losing jobs if these reports are true.  Toyota as a team won't be missed, far too bloated an operation to succeed and were their own worst enemies.  But it is never a good day to see a team pull out.

Still, every cloud has a silver lining...  Sauber now back in F1 for 2010 (unless the FIA announces another new team who sound like an on old one?)

[Scott]

It remains to be seen HOW they will pull out a la Honda or a la BMW.  A headline today in the Blick here in Switzerland suggests that USF1 may sell Sauber their grid place because they aren't quite ready for next year.  If Toyota allow a management buyout or sell it as an ongoing concern to someone else, then Sauber will still have to find another team to pull out.  If the story in the Blick is to be believed, then Sauber might have another option.  As much as I hope Sauber gets in, I think it would be a shame if it is at USF1's expense.

[FW14B]

Now confirmed.

From autosport:

Toyota pulls out of Formula 1

By Matt Beer    Wednesday, November 4th 2009, 08:13 GMT

Jarno TrulliToyota has announced that it is to pull out of Formula 1 with immediate effect.

The Japanese car company revealed its surprise decision in a news conference in Tokyo today following an earlier board meeting. It said the current economic situation had prompted its departure.

"Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces it plans to withdraw from the FIA Formula 1 world championship at the end of the 2009 season," said a Toyota statement.

"TMC, which had viewed its participation in F1 as contributing to the prosperity of automotive culture, remained dedicated to competing at the pinnacle of motor sports even in the face of the abrupt economic changes that started last year.

"However, when considering TMC's motorsports actitives next year and beyond from a comprehensive mid-term viewpoint reflecting the current severe economic realities, TMC decided to withdraw from F1"

There had been doubts about Toyota's F1 future after the company reported its first ever operating loss in March, and given the departures of fellow manufacturers Honda and BMW. Toyota had also pulled its Fuji track, which hosted the 2007 and 2008 Japanese Grands Prix, from the calendar, and its customer team Williams decided to end its engine deal a year early.

But Toyota signed the new Concorde Agreement, committing it to the world championship through 2012, and team boss John Howett was adamant that the squad would be on the grid in 2010, although there were hints of a reduced budget.

The team had been pressing ahead with 2010 preparations - approaching big name drivers including Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica, and talking of signing impressive stand-in driver Kamui Kobayashi for next year as recently as last weekend. Current drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock had already been expected to move on.

Toyota entered F1 in 2002, and was tipped to swiftly become a championship challenger given its huge budget and resources. But it failed to win a race and has just three pole positions, 13 podium finishes, and a best result of fourth in the 2005 constructors' standings to show for its 139 grands prix.

The departure of Toyota is set to throw the former BMW Sauber team a lifeline, as the Hinwil squad and its new owners had been relying on another team dropping out in order to claim the final spot in next season's expanded 26-car entry.

Renault is also holding an extraordinary board meeting to discuss its future plans today. Although the indications are that the French company is committed to F1, Toyota's decision to pull out could give Renault an opportunity to follow suit if it wished.

[Andy B]

No great surprise there then I thought they may have gone another season. Sauber as reserve team should now take Toyota's place so buying in from USF1 is not now required.
In an interview I recall Bernie saying that not all the new teams would make the 2010 grid, only time will tell.

[Scott]

I'm sure glad the timing is early enough to allow Sauber to roll ahead with plans, and that they didn't have to wait until the New Year to find out if they had a chance at a slot.

I still wonder if Toyota is going to sell the team or just dissolve it.  Selling it would not guarantee a slot for Sauber (I think), but the FIA might see it differently and simply take their spot away regardless of what they have planned for what remains of Toyota.  Another factor, and this may be the first big test of Todt as FIA president, is that Todt and Sauber did not depart their partnership between Ferrari and Sauber on especially good terms, so it could be said that Todt might keep that in mind when he decides on what is best for Sauber going forward.

[Andy B]

Is it down to the FIA or FOM?
I would expect Sauber to get the place.

[romephius]

Personally, I wonder what sort of fines are involved for Toyota??  Didn't they sign a 'contract' ensuring they would be there until 2012?

Just a thought

Rom