Toyota announces WRC plans

[AL14]

in that the lack of PR and information just leaves people to fill the void with rumours.

...and suspicion that there's something wrong with the project.

[pantealex]

They (and we all) should blame Japanese Toyota people, they are the reason of Tommi´s silencenes.

[AndyRAC]

They (and we all) should blame Japanese Toyota people, they are the reason of Tommi´s silences.

Hmm, I'm not sure about that. The Toyota WEC programme has been a lot more open with regards to PR, etc
I think this is about Tommi not wanting to give anything away.....

[AL14]

Hmm, I'm not sure about that. The Toyota WEC programme has been a lot more open with regards to PR, etc
I think this is about Tommi not wanting to give anything away.....

I don't know, pantealex seems pretty much informed about the situation. Anyway, it's not important who's fault for the lack of infos, wether it is Tommi or japanese guys, they're not promising well...

[Lundefaret]

I don't know, pantealex seems pretty much informed about the situation. Anyway, it's not important who's fault for the lack of infos, wether it is Tommi or japanese guys, they're not promising well...

Remember that this is still a team in its beginning. They are hard at work developing cars, building cars, testing cars, building a site, hiring people, etc etc. It is a huge task to have all this ready for 2017, and this will off course lead to long nights, stress etc. That this should go completely problem free would not be expected. And in this extremely pressing times, talking to journalists may not be on top of the teams "to do-list"
So Keep Calm And Carry on. We wont start to see the true potential of the Tommi Mäkinen/Toyota effort before 2018. And a lot will happen until then.

[AL14]

Remember that this is still a team in its beginning. They are hard at work developing cars, building cars, testing cars, building a site, hiring people, etc etc. It is a huge task to have all this ready for 2017, and this will off course lead to long nights, stress etc. That this should go completely problem free would not be expected. And in this extremely pressing times, talking to journalists may not be on top of the teams "to do-list"
So Keep Calm And Carry on. We wont start to see the true potential of the Tommi Mäkinen/Toyota effort before 2018. And a lot will happen until then.

Ole, I'm not judging anyone. I wait the stage times for that. And there is no doubt they are working hard.
But like always there are facts and clues, that don't make me bet one cent on this... I have seen newcomers in a better situation. Hyundai had a proper lineup when they entered. VW had Ogier/Latvala already... They don't... I can assure I am "calm", contrary to them.

[Lundefaret]

Ole, I'm not judging anyone. I wait the stage times for that. And there is no doubt they are working hard.
But like always there are facts and clues, that don't make me bet one cent on this... I have seen newcomers in a better situation. Hyundai had a proper lineup when they entered. VW had Ogier/Latvala already... They don't... I can assure I am "calm", contrary to them.

I know you are not judging

But if you look at Hyundai, they´ve been in the WRC full time since 2014, and its only this year that they are really starting to make their mark.

Volkswagen had a more delayed start, as did Citroën when it started the WRC, and both those teams had more than a year more time than Toyota before the first competition. And both started with the best driver line ups we have seen in WRC.

The TMG effort would have had a benefit of the time, but I am sure its a very good reason for Toyoda to axe that effort. And I am also sure that TMGs success in Le Mans this year has a lot to do with loosing the WRC effort, and having to prove something.

Tommi/Toyota has one big challenge, and that is that there are no top drivers wanting to go to Toyota in their first year, before they see how fast the car is. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, because it takes away some of the pressure in their first year of competition, and leads to a "softer" start.
If the car isnt that fast, one can "blame" it on the driver. If the car is really fast, one can "blame" it on the car. A win-win for Toyota.

Zotos is gone, is it good or bad? Difficult to say, but maybe there wasn't room for two roosters in the hen house? And surely there are several sides to that story.

I am guessing that Tommi is currently working about 24/7 to make his mark also as a team boss in the WRC, and I am also guessing that when the potential of the Toyota WRC car is beginning to come to fruition in the later half of the 2017-season, the drivers situation will be solved.
So to judge this effort one way or the other - well, I think that is way too soon.

[EightGear]

And I am also sure that TMGs success in Le Mans this year has a lot to do with loosing the WRC effort, and having to prove something.

Ouch. Please don't call it a succes, it still hurts.

[N.O.T]

When do you think it will flop ? before the season starts ? mid season or after the end of 17 ?

[Toyoda]

When do you think it will flop ? before the season starts ? mid season or after the end of 17 ?

When will it flop... For you, it will flop before it starts?