Toyota Might quit F1 for Le Mans

[npope]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/index.shtml


Might be a good move for them, but shame another team thinking of leaving. Also might be a future for trulli

[ettore]

Good on them.

[davidd]

Is this not just an admission that they have spent an astonishing amount of cash on F1 and have very little to show for it?

D

[zac510]

They could so easily spend an astonishing amount of cash and still not beat Audi!

[Derek Smith]

It's no surprise I suppose. One wonders if Honda will stay or if it might feel that it too should go into the much cheaper Le Mans.

[FourWheelDrift]

They didn't win Le Mans the last time they tried either with the GT-One, or before that with the Turbo cars.

[Batfink]

losing will still be cheaper though so its a win win so to speak

[RichB]

I expect it's going to happen more and more, won't be a bad thing either. Might make the poison dwarf realise he can't keep screwing more and more money out of F1.

[baz7175]

but...(courtesy of Autosport)

"Toyota are committed to succeeding in Formula One for the long-term and our objective in Formula One is to win - we exist to win and we are committed to doing that," said a team statement.

"However, we believe Formula One must remain a technological challenge; this is an important point for Toyota and provided this does not change we expect to continue in F1 until at least 2012."

The statement from Toyota added that although the Japanese manufacturer is interested in other challenges like Le Mans, there was no talk of them quitting F1 to do so.

"Toyota have never hidden their interest in considering new motorsport opportunities, including Le Mans," added the statement. "Currently no formal plan nor decision has been taken on changes or additions to the current programmes."

[eccles]

baz7175 said:

but...(courtesy of Autosport)

"Toyota are committed to succeeding in Formula One for the long-term and our objective in Formula One is to win - we exist to win and we are committed to doing that," said a team statement.

"However, we believe Formula One must remain a technological challenge; this is an important point for Toyota and provided this does not change we expect to continue in F1 until at least 2012."

The statement from Toyota added that although the Japanese manufacturer is interested in other challenges like Le Mans, there was no talk of them quitting F1 to do so.

"Toyota have never hidden their interest in considering new motorsport opportunities, including Le Mans," added the statement. "Currently no formal plan nor decision has been taken on changes or additions to the current programmes."

Or to quote your quote...

"However, we believe Formula One must remain a technological challenge; this is an important point for Toyota and provided this does not change"

All this talk of standardised components might make it less of a technical challenge and give them an out.

[groomi]

FourWheelDrift said:

They didn't win Le Mans the last time they tried either with the GT-One, or before that with the Turbo cars.

Indeed, they were embarrassingly beaten to it by Mazda with a fraction of the budget and funny engine...

[zac510]

It doesn't even specifically say whether Toyota are considering a prototype or GT car but you'd think Toyota is too big just to roll out a Lexus LF-A into a GT category, no matter how cool that would be!

[AlexS]

groomi said:

FourWheelDrift said:

They didn't win Le Mans the last time they tried either with the GT-One, or before that with the Turbo cars.

Indeed, they were embarrassingly beaten to it by Mazda with a fraction of the budget and funny engine...

and some favourable rules for the little rotary.

[groomi]

AlexS said:

groomi said:

FourWheelDrift said:

They didn't win Le Mans the last time they tried either with the GT-One, or before that with the Turbo cars.

Indeed, they were embarrassingly beaten to it by Mazda with a fraction of the budget and funny engine...

and some favourable rules for the little rotary.

Nothing to have stopped Toyota's massive R&D department creating a little rotary...

[sniff diesel]

npope said:

Also might be a future for trulli

Thought Trulli lacked race pace?