Toyota announces WRC plans

[Simmi]

At the time the decision to run the team this way made no sense and nothing since that point has changed.

The reason there have been a lot of critical eyes cast at the project is not because people are looking for it to fail. It''s because rally fans NEED it to be a success.

[RS]

It's a long time since a non-works team was truly successful in rallying. I suppose you'd have to look back to the Gronholm/Ford era or before that Prodrive Subaru or Mitsubishi.

[RAS007]

At the time the decision to run the team this way made no sense and nothing since that point has changed.

The reason there have been a lot of critical eyes cast at the project is not because people are looking for it to fail. It''s because rally fans NEED it to be a success.

Very good point. Anyone who loves the sport should want this to be a success.

[skarderud]

Some said something "Exiting News" from Petter after Wales. Testdriver for tommi/Toyota?
Dakar in 2017 for Toyota is almost secure, maybe a parttime comeback in wrc too?

[Arnold Triyudho Wardono]

Probably Yaris RX campaign & WRC testing.

[Sulland]

Petter still has a good PR name in Japan, so this is a good move on several levels from Toyota!

On WRC:
Will be very, very surprised if the Tommi led Rally-Gazoo operation will get full factory support and coop from the German based Yaris project.
If not, heads will be sacked from Germany by the top dog in Japan!

[dimviii]

any Finn mate to enlight us?

Teemu / Rallirinki ‏@HartusvuoriWRC

According to this, Toyota has cut budget from TMG's #YarisWRC project. Their 2017-spec car to museum: http://yle.fi/urheilu/tommi_makinen_...ettiin/8456529 … @MiikaWuorela

http://yle.fi/urheilu/tommi_makinen_...ettiin/8456529

[Simmi]

Not a surprise really then that relationships have completely broken down between the two Toyota factions. Makinen basically said the car TMG have been developing for two years is garbage. Now he's saying their engine is not up to task and is looking elsewhere.

Why were Toyota still giving any budget at all to this TMG project? Someone, somewhere has funded a two-year stillborn museum piece in the Yaris WRC. Just an unbelievable waste of everyone's time.

[OldF]

No, Tommi didn’t say its garbage. TMG started to develop the car long time before the 2017 regulations were defined. Of course the manufacturers know more before the regulations are published but I don’t think there was much to know two years ago. I’m not an expert but even the engine specification changes that much that there’s a lot of testing ahead.

At some phase Tommi considered also to have some kind of operation also in central Europe. That’s a thing I would do. The development can be anywhere but logistically it would be easier to have the operative activities somewhere in central Europe.

Keeping the headquarters in Jyväskylä has the advantage for gravel testing. By the WRC sporting regulations (http://www.fia.com/regulations/regul...lltext=&page=1 , page 51) in the country where the WRC team is registered they can test more.

66. TESTING
66.1 PERMITTED TESTING SITES
For Manufacturers or WRC Teams registered in the Championship, testing (as defined in Art. 2.20) is permitted:
66.1.1 On a permanent testing site proposed by the Manufacturer or WRC Team before its first rally of the year and notified to the FIA. The permanent testing site must be located in the country where the Manufacturer or WRC Team rally cars are registered.
66.1.2 During a calendar year, a P1 driver may use only one permanent testing site.
66.1.3 In Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and UK.

66.3.2 In the case of a Manufacturer, a maximum of 42 days in any calendar year. This clause does not apply to testing as stated in Art. 66.1.1.

Some kind of translation.

Toyota suddenly withdraw the budget from the TMG wrc project when Toyota realized there was two separate projects going on.

The media representative Tatsuo Horikawa from Toyota still deny this has happened.

The rumours that TMG wouldn’t still be involved is wrong. TMG co-operate with Tommi mainly with the engine development as they have done until now. Our aim is to build a strong Toyota Gazoo Racing lead by Tommi, Horikawa tells YLE Urheilu (YLE sport).

Tommi has been unsatisfied with the engine co-operation with TMG and explored possibilities to co-operate with the French engine tuner Pipo Moteurs but Pipo Moteurs develop Hyundai’s wrc engine with exclusive rights.

I’ve heard the rumour about Tommi asking for engine development from Pipo Moteurs but in WRC they develop engines only for us, says Nandan.

[rv65]

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