Toyota - F1 Team - Alan Henry...

[Mat Hammond]

has suggested the Team will find it hard to convince the Toyota Board to stay in F1 beyond the end of the year...

It would be a sad loss.

God how much cash have they spent....?

[MrKipling43]

Why will it be a sad loss? All they've done is piss money up the wall and fielded a dull-liveried car.

As for how much they've spent... maybe €3-4bn?

[retrorider]

they should of spent some money on a decent driver who could string a race distance together...

[Mat Hammond]

It is about time the built some sporty cars again.

I always wanted a GT4....

My mate is a saleman, it must be quite a boring role... LOL, he takes the Hi Lux home most days as the cars are a tad bland!

[DSM2]

Mat Hammond said:

It is about time the built some sporty cars again.

I always wanted a GT4....

My mate is a saleman, it must be quite a boring role... LOL, he takes the Hi Lux home most days as the cars are a tad bland!

Just got to agree!!

In the past have had Celicas and MR2 but have no reason whatsoever to go near a Toyota dealership these days.

Where did it all go wrong?

[IanMorewood]

DSM2 said:

Where did it all go wrong?

Yaris (good littel car but hardly interesting is it?)

[Sisyphus]

It would be nice to see them come up with something interesting for a return to rallying.

It was certainly a happier hunting ground for them than F1

[AlpineWhite]

To be fair to Toyota, they've stuck around longer than I expected. I thought they'd be out before Honda or BMW, but there you have it.

As said above, might've been useful to hire a driver who's good on the Sunday too!

[rubystone]

Did Mr H suggest that they might think it better to simply continue to supply Williams and slap a "powered by Toyota" Sticker on the rear wing Just curious...'cos if he did, he owes me a beer

[baz1985]

As a Williams fan, I'd welcome a factory works deal. It's been too long since the JPM win at Interlagos 2004.

[skinny]

i thought with the new head of toyota, they were looking more likely to stay in F1 and might even alter their range of vehicles with a bit more a sporting bent...?

[team underdog]

Well they've already admitted Trulli is unlikely to be re-signed and Glock is getting jittery as well...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78012

Added to that Williams are looking for an alternative engine supplier - a pull out looks like the inevitable conclusion really...

[touring fan]

A couple of months ago Toyota pulled their Fuji track from hosting the Japanese GP (in a rotation with Suzuka), after spending millions to upgrade it so it can host F1.

That was a pretty major sign that they have fallen out of love with F1 at all levels.

[Mat Hammond]

So we have the drivers unsigned for 2010 (but with options)

We have Williams looking for a new engine

Doubt that the Toyota Board will support the F1 Team

And the Fuji Track withdrawn (by Toyota) for the F1 race


It looks like they are off to me!

[patmahe]

I remember reading that Toyota's involvement in F1 adds a fiver to the price of every Yaris, so its hardly costing them much. Of course a fall off in sales in the past year may have changed their minds.

[AndrewW-G]

I suggested this in another thread, with williams potentialy looking to get out of their deal with Toyota and the trail already blazed by Honda and BMW, Yet it was pointed out to me that the interview with Toyota's F1 boss in Autosport was rather positive in Toyota's commintment to stay in F1

[MrKipling43]

patmahe said:

I remember reading that Toyota's involvement in F1 adds a fiver to the price of every Yaris, so its hardly costing them much. Of course a fall off in sales in the past year may have changed their minds.

Nice fact. Cheers for that one.

[Mr_Thyroid]

MrKipling43 said:

....and fielded a dull-liveried car.

WRONG. Toyota have the best paint job on the grid.

[groomi]

Mr_Thyroid said:

MrKipling43 said:

....and fielded a dull-liveried car.

WRONG. Toyota have the best paint job on the grid.

You're right. The Williams is the sleekest car out there...

[zac510]

MrKipling43 said:

patmahe said:

I remember reading that Toyota's involvement in F1 adds a fiver to the price of every Yaris, so its hardly costing them much. Of course a fall off in sales in the past year may have changed their minds.

Nice fact. Cheers for that one.

They sold almost 9 million cars last year. if they spent $450m then that's almost $50 per car?