Do or die for Toyota. If the wins don't come they go out

AshDav

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From Autoblog
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/24/sink-or-swim-toyota-could-follow-honda-out-of-f1-if-the-wins-do/

toyota-f1-engine_2.jpg


Toyota has a reputation around the Formula One paddock for having the biggest budget with the least results. But that's all going to change, and change drastically, if the team doesn't start winning races, according to some new reports.

Although outgoing Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe was reported to have rubber-stamped the company's continued participation in F1 following a recent review, his successor and founding family scion, Akio Toyoda, may feel otherwise. Toyoda will be taking the reigns at the company following the first year of decline in its history, and will likely be looking to curb expenditures. In good times, some companies can justify the enormous financial cost of competing in F1 for the positive image it attaches to their company. But that's only if they're out there winning races, or at least coming close. If Toyota can't score its first race win this year, the bean counters might have no choice but to follow fellow Japanese automaker Honda and pull out of the sport altogether.

well that can't be good
 
In good times, some companies can justify the enormous financial cost of competing in F1 for the positive image it attaches to their company.

I doubt most people now even associate Toyota with racing of any kind. I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota claims it's pulling out of all types of motorsport because of their CO2 output.
 
Good I say. No one cared about Toyota in F1 anyways. With the moeny that they've saved, they could concentrate on making better cars.
 
I have to say - about time. It's almost embarrassing the amount of money Toyota has spent in F1 for no return - putting some real pressure on the team to perform is well overdue. Just not sure about a single season time-frame.
 
That blows. But honestly, whenever i see or hear the name Toyota, my mind doesn't exactly run towards racing. :\
 
This is good I think. Either Toyota should start winning races, in which case I'm fine with them, or they need to leave. But what they've been doing for last years is just wasting money...
 
The only time when Toyota put money in and results came out at the other end was the first half of the 2005 season. They need to surpass the results achieved back then. They did get two pole-positions, now they ought to get a win before too much longer.
 
Toyota Boss: "Truilli, Glock...No Pressure Boys!"

Does this mean if they fail, would they also pullout of the Williams deal?
 
If I was told to choose a team which should leave F1, I'd say Toyota without giving it a second thought.
 
They seem out of place as it is. Did they join F1 out of peer pressure or to be part of the bandwagon?
"We build boring econoboxes, so to show how great we are at it, we'll enter Formula 1..."

Um...no.
 
It's really sad that they have to do this, but I think it's overdue. If a team goes that long without any meaningful results then it's time to either pull the plug or do something drastically different... I realize that this is the top level of motorsport but how is that any different from other levels? Is there some kind of excuse like "we're in F1 so we're doing okay!" or what? Any monkey can run anywhere he pleases if he's got the cash. Although resources and workforce may be different the same amount of effort is required to make results be it karting, F3000 or F1.

This may sound tough but just as there are racing drivers and people who merely drive racing cars, so too are there teams who run racing cars and teams who merely run a car in a racing series. When you're talking about the sport only second in prestige to sailboat racing, you kind of start to realize how much effort is truly required to make it work and then in so doing who obviously is not putting forth that effort. They progressed well enough into 2005 but then they sort of fell off. If I were in charge I would have done something drastic about it at the end of 2007 but hindsight is always 20/20.

In my opinion if they fall through in 2009 they should pull out of F1, but not out of racing. They should start programs to compete with Mazda and get their sportscar development going again. Mazda ran that Lola in the Le Mans series and they were smart enough to pull out when they saw things were wrong. Just because they're not up to spec at the top level doesn't mean they can't have a really strong racing program and/or following.
 
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Their performance did take an upturn through 2008, presumably because they solved one of their most critical problems, getting rid of a form of drag and unmovable ballast engineers sometimes refer to as "Ralf Schumacher".
 
Yeah, that's true, but they still didn't get anywhere near the amount of podium finishes as they did in 2005, 2 vs 5, and they had a lot more retirements (although not as many as 2007). Shumacher did a lot better than Glock in 2005. Granted Glock is still fairly new.

In my opinion teams should always be judged against their best record, but I'm an elitist fool so I don't count. By my logic Ferrari are doing horrible right now. :lol:
 
Management instability. For example, they hired Mike Gascoyne in mid-2004, he engineered the relatively succesful 2005 season, but then he left the team. No idea if willingly or if he was pushed by the team management...
 
It's sad to read this. If toyota pull, I won't mind it, because they've never been too eventful, but then there's the problem of who's going to fill the gap they left?

But, this year might be hopeful due to all the changes. It's almost like a clean slate. Everyone is equal...ish
 
One question remains - why have they done so badly? Its not for lack of money or trying.

Starting an F1 team from scratch is a tough thing to do. If you think of the technical side of F1 as a running race then Ferrari and McLaren are sprinting 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Coming into the sport you start off way behind them (at least 5 seasons of experience, possibly 10) so you've not just got to run as fast as them, you've actually got to run faster to a) continue new development and b) fill in gaps in your own knowledge as the newbie.

Toyota haven't done a bad job of this, OK they're not the most charismatic team in the sport but they are getting on with it working hard.

The problem is that while most of their development effort is good, they still don't get as many important decisions right first time as the top teams.

They're still learning and getting better, but because they started from scratch they've got further to travel than most teams.
 
I think Toyota are doing pretty well. After all, they decided who won the '08 season. :cool:
 
I think it's the right decision for Toyota to pull out if they don't have a successful 2009 season. However, it is a worry if another team is lost from the sport and isn't replaced.

Everything has gone quiet on the bid for Honda, this is not really a good sign. Time is running out for a new owner to be secured, Honda are only giving Nick Fry still the end of January to find a buyer...that's not far away.

16 cars on the grid in 2010? I hope not.
 
I expect there will be a mini renaissance when the Cossie becomes available. The lesser aerodynamics and a cheap engine and gearbox combo will make the sport much more accessible for privateers.
 
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