Toyota Severs All Ties With Hispania Racing!
Discussion
Looks like Hispania owe more people money. Not good.
Taken from the BBC F1 Website.
Toyota has ended an agreement with Hispania Racing and is chasing "contractual payment" to the Formula 1 newcomers' "surprise".
A late addition to the 2010 season grid, Hispania failed to score a point in 19 races and there had been doubts raised over their future.
"Toyota confirms that all cooperation with Hispania has been terminated," Cologne-based Toyota stated.
But Hispania countered by saying they "were surprised" by Toyota's statement.
"This matter will be the subject of further clarification," read a Hispania statement.
Hispania technical director for the season Geoff Willis added: "There will be no comment until explanations from Dr Kolles and the Carabantes," referring to the team's principal and owner.
Recently Hispania agreed a deal with Williams to use their gearboxes.
"Toyota retains all intellectual property rights to its current F1 car and is completely free to pursue other projects and support new customers for its high-performance engineering services," added Toyota.
"Toyota regrets that HRT has not met its contractual payment obligations and will pursue all available options to reach a satisfactory conclusion to this matter."
Hispania endured a troubled start to F1, with an internal takeover and subsequent name change from Campos Meta to Hispania in the build-up to the 2010 campaign.
The Spanish marque only just made it on to the grid for the season-opener in Bahrain in March after a race against time to be ready and used four drivers during the campaign.
They began with Brazilian Bruno Senna and India's Karun Chandhok as their drivers, before Sakon Yamamoto was drafted in for the British Grand Prix after bringing money to the team.
Initially Yamamoto replaced Senna but then the Japanese driver took Chandhok's seat for the following race in Germany.
Austrian veteran Christian Klien was then given his first F1 drive in four years when he deputised for the ill Yamamoto at the Singapore Grand Prix.
In September, Kolles told BBC Sport that Hispania would be on the grid in 2011, despite rumours of budgetary problems all season.
Taken from the BBC F1 Website.
Toyota has ended an agreement with Hispania Racing and is chasing "contractual payment" to the Formula 1 newcomers' "surprise".
A late addition to the 2010 season grid, Hispania failed to score a point in 19 races and there had been doubts raised over their future.
"Toyota confirms that all cooperation with Hispania has been terminated," Cologne-based Toyota stated.
But Hispania countered by saying they "were surprised" by Toyota's statement.
"This matter will be the subject of further clarification," read a Hispania statement.
Hispania technical director for the season Geoff Willis added: "There will be no comment until explanations from Dr Kolles and the Carabantes," referring to the team's principal and owner.
Recently Hispania agreed a deal with Williams to use their gearboxes.
"Toyota retains all intellectual property rights to its current F1 car and is completely free to pursue other projects and support new customers for its high-performance engineering services," added Toyota.
"Toyota regrets that HRT has not met its contractual payment obligations and will pursue all available options to reach a satisfactory conclusion to this matter."
Hispania endured a troubled start to F1, with an internal takeover and subsequent name change from Campos Meta to Hispania in the build-up to the 2010 campaign.
The Spanish marque only just made it on to the grid for the season-opener in Bahrain in March after a race against time to be ready and used four drivers during the campaign.
They began with Brazilian Bruno Senna and India's Karun Chandhok as their drivers, before Sakon Yamamoto was drafted in for the British Grand Prix after bringing money to the team.
Initially Yamamoto replaced Senna but then the Japanese driver took Chandhok's seat for the following race in Germany.
Austrian veteran Christian Klien was then given his first F1 drive in four years when he deputised for the ill Yamamoto at the Singapore Grand Prix.
In September, Kolles told BBC Sport that Hispania would be on the grid in 2011, despite rumours of budgetary problems all season.
I'm amazed they made it through to the end of this year in the first place, but aside from the Williams transmission deal, their prospects for 2011 are bleak. They don't have the facilities to design and build their own chassis and it seems Toyota and Dallara are dead ends now. Perhaps they'll emerge in Bahrain with a car that looks remarkably like this years Williams? With two well funded ex-GP2 drivers!
AlpineWhite said:
It looks a bit dire, as said above, apart from the Williams deal they've got nothing.
and have they actually got that paid for? otherwise will likely go the same way as the Toyota chassisas things are, I'd be surprised to see HRT on the grid next year - anyone they go to for a chassis is going to want money up front after this.
and... if they repeat their performance of not getting to any of the testing like this year...then they should be turned away anyway.
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