Toyota set to announce F1 future

Toyota has scheduled 8 November to announce its plans about the 2010 Formula One season, it has emerged.

It was expected that the Japanese carmaker's decision about whether to continue funding its Cologne-based team would not be known until the much-vaunted Tokyo board meeting a week later.

Toyota's racing budgets are always approved in advance by the end-year board meeting, leaving some experts concerned that a separate announcement has been deemed necessary ahead of 2010.

The November 8 announcement was revealed by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, and the Independent newspaper in Britain also expects that "bad news" could be emanating from Toyota "later in the week".

"(Japanese) auto and auto-part makers are questioning what they can gain now by spending hundreds of millions of yen in taking part in Formula One," said Tatsuya Mizuno, an auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory.

Should Toyota choose to withdraw, it would make room for Sauber, whose official application to race in 2010 will be automatically activated in the event of a vacancy.

However, it would be bad news for Kamui Kobayashi, the Japanese F1 rookie who has impressed Toyota with his two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old told reporters before leaving the Yas Marina Circuit that he has "no budget" to fall back on GP2 in 2010. "I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant, said Kobayashi. "It was like that two months ago."

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Kobayashi definitely doesn't deserve to disappear to the backrooms of a sushi restaurant - the guy is quick and exciting fresh out of the box and did a better job than established drivers such as Fisichella, and had his experienced team-mate Trulli well beaten at Yas Marina
If they do pull out as a constructor, the admission of Sauber would allow Toyota to stay on as an engine supplier to the Sauber team and thus keep an Asian prescence in the sport at vastly lower costs than funding their own complete entry
The engine could even be badged Lexus to distance it from the mother company and create a more upmarket/ high-tech image for their involvement
A Sauber-Toyota (or Lexus ???) team with Heidfeld/ Raikkonen and Kobayashi would work quite well
From thomas, on Tue 3 Nov 11:29AM
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paulhancock1123, agreed! Toyota out? Sauber in! Can Kobayashi escape "Toyota-think" and drive successfully for someone else? I don't know but In two races he showed he can run with the big dogs. He has earned a look!
From Red Ears, on Tue 3 Nov 10:03AM
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Well I hope that one of the other teams, waits to see what Toyota do and snap this chap up if they go out. Though why would they be negotiating with Kimi if they are going to leave? or was that to get sponsorship?
From Ellie, on Tue 3 Nov 8:51AM
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If Toyota pull out of F1 someone will have to sign up Kobayashi, he is ,by miles, the best newcomer this season and it would be a complete waste for him not to be in F1. There is no way, if rumours are to be believed, that Sato deserves a seat in an F1 car when japan has great talent like Kobayashi available to drive. Just goes to show you the power of sponsored drivers money, its a disgrace!!!
From racingshed, on Tue 3 Nov 8:51AM
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whats the betting they will go with BMW sauber to step into their place??
From paulhancock1123, on Tue 3 Nov 8:22AM
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