My sources in Japan have been saying for some days that Toyota has decided to withdraw from Formula 1 immediately, hence my recent disquiet on the subject, as reported first on Saturday. Multiple sources are now confirming these rumours.
The Toyota adventure in F1 has been a pretty poor affair, without a victory despite huge amounts of spending. The initial development of the team seemed to be promising, and the decision to hire Mike Gascoyne at the end of 2003 was widely seen as acceptance that Toyota had realized that a different attitude was necessary.
Unfortunately, the enforced retirement of Ove Andersson in 2004 (according to Toyota regulations) meant that the team quickly lost its way under the new management. Andersson stayed on as a consultant but was so frustrated that in the end he quit completely and retired to South Africa, where he was killed in a road accident in June last year.
The key point at which many in F1 lost faith in the project was when Gascoyne was ousted in March 2006 following a fundamental difference of opinion with the top management of the team about the way the team should develop. The split was indicative of the clash of cultures between the corporate world and the motor racing fraternity. Gascoyne was the epitome of an aggressive get-up-and-go engineer who was not frightened to speak his mind in corporate circles. His arrival at the team made a significant difference and his departure was seen in F1 circles as a victory of corporate thinking.
That move sent out all the wrong signals in F1 and meant that the team had real troubles recruiting top engineers as it was clear that Gascoyne was rejected for arguing too much for what he felt was necessary. The impression being that the team was being run from Japan by people who did not fully understand what they were doing with the European management simply doing what they were told.
Toyota is due to hold a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday (0800 GMT) at which company president Akio Toyoda and team principal Tadashi Yamashina will make the announcement.
If it lets sauber in I am happy enough. No great loss for fans but sad for the employees. Hope they get the le mans project.
A real shame for Kamui Kobayashi if it’s true. He deserves a chance in F1. Hope one of the new teams gives him a chance.
Well, no surprise really. At least my prediction that Toyota would never win a race held up.
Here’s hoping Qadbak don’t do anything stupid with Sauber, and that we’ll see them on the grid next season.
I wonder what Toyota will do with all those people employed under German law. Can the be redeployed easily? Does Toyota have time to enter Le Mans next year, maybe as Lexus?
Wouldn’t suprise me if it did happen. Wow we’ve gone from six engine makers in Formula One to possibly down to four.
I guess they have to let Sauber back in now… right? Or is Toyota going to try to sell the team and/or the grid spot?
As I understand it, there will be no sale. It will just close down.
This is sad… I was really looking forward to see Kamui Kobayashi in the next season.
This is something that we kwew it would happen, only we didn’t know when. It’s the obvious result of a big project that didn’t achieve their goals, and another example of what the auto makers want from the motorsport racing: win races at Sunday to sell cars on Monday.
As the sales of automobiles are plumpting, this is the natural result.
For me, it’s too bad for Kamui Koboyashi, because as he demonstrates that he has skills for the racing, toyota pulls his rug, because it was most obvious the he would remain on the team in 2010. And for Qadbak-Sauber, probably this will be good news for them, because thay can finally race on the next season, without the vetoes of Williams and Campos, for exemple.
Let’s see what will happens.
Kamui in Macca, please.
Joe – How certain is Renault for next year?
Mad Max warned everyone about the Manufacturers dropping out. Maybe he is not as crazy as some of you think he is.
Can’t say that I’m surprised, they never really seemed to ever have the single driving force needed to get the whole team to gel. Should have stuck with providing engines, as should have Honda. To see all this investment and resources thrown into the rubbish bin is heart breaking. Cosworth must be just adding another couple of zero’s to next year’s profit.
So everyone just loses their jobs. Bummer. Sorry to see them go.
Joe – one more question.
It Toyota signed the Concorde Agreement and they quit what are the ramifications?
Thanks
They have to pay
Someone needs to give Kobayashi a drive. Two races and he was a highlight of both!
I’m sorry to see Toyota go but I never felt F1 was a good fit for them (like it wouldn’t be for VW or Hyundai either). They make motoring appliances so success in F1 means nothing to their customer base.
That begins to explain Williams blocking Qadbak’s entry, no need for a 14th team etc – and the early announcement they were dropping Toyota engines. I wonder how long they’ve known.
Here’s the link to the japanese newspaper
article, and the quite funny Google Translation.
F1lover, I think this would be a good move. Kobayashi clearly learns fast, I think he would be a good (and cheap) 2nd driver for McLaren. Kimi is just too expensive and would compete against Hamilton.
Also mentioned on Kyodo News (sub)
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=468588
Suppose Howett was trying to tell us something when he said “Results not key to Toyota future” but depended on company’s finances.
Max can have a good laugh at the end of the year. He saw off the last of the big spending FOTA clowns at BMW, Toyota & Renault (Flav), and out foxed them by inviting in new teams, which shifted power more to his cost cutting way of thinking. Bet he gets a huge xmas pressie from Todt
If the Russians had been allowed to buy Opel, the Toyota F1 factory could have been a good fit.
This is really too bad; Toyota never really ‘got’ F1 and the news is not all that surprising.
I hope someone gives Kamui Kobayashi a drive. He seemingly has real talent, which is more than can be said for some in 2009.
Joe,
You were definitely right in your article from late September about the Japanese business model not being a fit for Formula One.
The bad news out of this is that Kobayashi won’t have a drive.
The good news is that the Sauber team (QadbakSauber-Cosworth?) should get on the grid.
I wonder how CVC and Mr Ecclestone are sleeping now? I suppose Bernie will have some smart, throw away line, but some serious questions will have to be asked about how CVC will be able to repay its debt levels with the manufactures leaving and the traditional tracks unable, or unwilling to meet the financial demands of BCE.
Manufactures have the promotional budgets, private teams dont, or at least they dont have the level’s that a manufacture would have had.
@Tom B
It does look a little like Frank knew before (maybe far before) anyone else did… I wonder if John Howett did as well, and whether all that stuff about signing Raikkonen was just smokescreen.
Add me to the list of people who hope to see Kobayashi with a drive next year. McLaren would be fascinating — Kobayashi would surely be a better bet than Kovaleinen. With Brawn, Ferrari, Williams, and Red Bull all basically closed up, there are no other top drives (not sure that he merits one, of course). Heidfeld and Kobayashi at Sauber could be interesting. The Toro Rosso meat-grinder I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Force India might be a decent fit as well if VM is unsatisfied with Liuzzi.
…but does he even have a manager, or has his life been entrusted to the Toyota young driver program?
So why the no-sale? There seems to still be enough people with money to burn (in the class of Qadbak and all the people that bought Jordan), and they’d even thank Toyota for saving them whatever million dollars it is they didn’t have to spend as a new entry.
So Kimi to McLaren then? Oh wait he already said the Toyotas weren’t real F1 cars (ouch).
Would the real FOTA supporters please stand up. We’re going to get Max to personally whip each and everyone of you.
“They have to pay”
Which why they wont just pull out, either Qadbak have to splash out or someone like Prodrive will step in im guessing.
Dans,
No, Toyota will pay.
Pay they will, but compared to what they’ve spent over the last 9 years, the penalties will be chump change for them.
Fearless forecast: Heidfeld-Kobayashi for Sauber 2010.
Has there ever before been an F1 project that spent so much and achieved, well, b.gg.r all? Doubt it.
Gareth
“… never felt F1 was a good fit for them …”, I thought the F1 project was supposed to improve Toyota’s appeal to younger buyers, so getting away from the “…motoring appliances…” image. Would it have achieved that without the global financial meltdown? They needed to win some races first, never did and never looked like doing it.
This has been expected for some time. When Toyota let that ‘no drivers will be signed untill after the board meeting in November’ – that was clearly released to set expectations and soften the blow when it did come.
However I almost thought Kumi might have done enough in the last two races to save the team – must surly have given the board members something to think about.
On an aside Joe – was there any cycnisium in the press corps over how well Kumi went in Abu Dhabi? I mean a rookie Japanese driver, who didn’t set the world alight in GP2, gets in the car an puts in a really impressive performance just when the team is fighting for it’s survival? Not suspicious is it?
Still, there are plenty of seats up for grabs, and Kumi comes out of 2009 as the most promising rookie of the year, so who knows.
If Toyota had any sense, they would have sent TTE back to Le Mans, and signed Williams up as their works team (in F1) on an engine supply basis a couple of years ago. That could have worked.
One last point – during the Budget cap arguments during the summer. I said at the time I would be very unimpressed with manufactures blocking the cost saving proposals, and then later deciding they cannot afford F1 any more. I don’t like Max, but thought he was right on that one….
what does this mean for the Japanese GP
with no Japanese cars why have a GP (and pay Bernie millions) Which basically promotes Ferrari’s to local car buyers
I can’t really imagine Ferrari buyers looking to any Japanese make as an alternative…….although Honda did try with the NSX.
Joe, just to confirm, Toyota press conference is TODAY, Wednesday at 0800 GMT?
In about 20 minutes
I must admit, I’m kinda glad because they were just another waste of time big manufacturer.
I have decided that teams should be mostly privateer and car manufacturers should be mostly engine suppliers!
For all those saying “Max was right” lest we forget, it was him that bought in the 50 million Euro bond that new entrants had to pay before joining, effectively ensuring that only manufacturers could join and not independent outfits.
As you sow, so you shall reap.
Frankly, Toyota was always a joke as an F1 team for me. They totally underestimated the challenge of F1 and never faced up to the facts. Not sad to see them go.
[...] Saward, the terrific F1 journo and Delphic Oracle of rumors such as these, says that Toyota’s board [...]
Toyota has got unfinished business in Le Mans. I’m sorry for the pull-out as the Toyota people were the frendliest in the paddock (by far) and their hospitality was great.
The cars were not bad either, they’ve just finished their 2nd most successful F1 season. True that the Japanese management culture just didn’t fit in to F1.
I hope their assets can be saved somehow.
Honda, BMW, Bridgestone, Toyota, Bernie your boys are taking a hell of a beating…
Who is next? Who’s coat is on the shoogliest peg?
As soon as Toyota announced that it would be basing its F1 team in Germany, I knew that it was destined to be a failure.
Only two championship winning teams in the history of F1 have been based outside of the UK, and one of those is Ferrari.
JP
@ce
honda own the suzuka circuit and i understand have just signed up for 3 more years.
not sad to see toyota go, as stated their corporate culture was just a massive misfit in F1, and the results back that up. also, it means that Sauber remain (as long as the elusive qadbak don’t play any games).
how many people are employed by toyota in cologne tho. i know that making people redundant in germany is different to the UK but it’s not going to be a very Christmas for them…
Was Max right about the manufacturers leaving?
Well, to me his attitude was always reminiscent of the nosey neighbour who comes round to complain about the rotten tree in your garden. That tree could fall, he says. What if there was a strong wind (shakes the tree)? See, (shake, shake), it could go any time (stand back while I take a run at it) it’s just not safe (shove shove)…what if someone kicked it (like THIS)…
@Martin Collyer
Had Toyota won every GP this year (!) those young people would have turned up at the local Toyota dealer and found… what exactly? There isn’t a single current Toyota that I would want to own. I’m not an old coot and their product bores me. I own great MkIII MR2 so they do (did) know how to make fun to drive cars at one point. Even if I was to go over to Toyota’s Lexus dealer I would be tempted by the ISF… and then find a mandatory automatic gearbox in the thing! Blah.
Gareth
I wish I could claim to be “not an old coot”, I’m sixty next birthday. There isn’t a single current Toyota that I would want to own either. It wasn’t going to work for them was it? Better they stick to motoring appliances I guess.