Former Toyota F1 boss John Howett is leaving the company at the end of June and to mark his departure the Toyota team decided to have him drive one of the 2010 Formula 1 cars around the car park at the team’s factory in Cologne. This was a very exclusive affair with not many witnesses… However I understand that Howett came away with a red face when he ran the car into the wall of the factory. The latest word is that the remnants of the team will be employed next year to update the current chassis (rather more scientifically than Howett did) and will enter F1 in 2011, providing engineering services to a current GP2 team. The word on the grapevine is that ART might the lucky team. This is potentially difficult as the team is part-owned by Nicolas Todt, the son of FIA President Jean Todt.
I have asked the team for photographs of the Howett incident but oddly there has been no response as yet.
joeblogsf1 
“The latest word is that the remnants of the team will be employed next year to update the current chassis and will enter F1 in 2011…”
Surely this statement is incorrect Joe?
The cars will be entered… not the team
When do we get the news that the brakes were faulty and that the F1 cars are due a recall?
I wonder how many former drivers who were dropped by Toyota have called Howett to offer their sympathy at is accident.
I have to say though it was a nice gesture from Toyota to let him drive it. Shame more teams don’t let mere mortals try their cars.
Would a Toyota partnership be of any use for Epsilon Euskadi, or do they already have all the resources they need?
At least John Howett can swap notes with Nick Heidfeld about how it feels to hit a solid barrier when entertaining factory workers. ART are a good, competent junior outfit and deserve to have a go at F1 if they can get enough funding.
It wasn’t the brakes but a stuck accelerator!
Great blog sir! Please keep it up!
Brilliant title. Love it.