Toyota, what an embarassment.

[futuretiger9]

I wonder how long the Toyota F1 programme can continue to wander aimlessly like this, without some fundamental restructuring.

[Wilderness]

What an attitude. If Toyota team is struggling, then their drivers are crap, if some other team is in trouble, then the drivers are just "innocent sufferers". If that is not a biased view, then what is it?

Here's a major team in major disarray that no amount of money will fix. While there's no "I" in team, the drivers are delt what the engineers give them (based on some of their input). All successful teams have in common is a capable principal that is able to assemble a great team. Toyota has neither an able team principal, nor an able team (as a whole). Throw all the money you want, but Toyota needs a major shakedown from the top on down, which won't happen. This team will be shut down at the end of next season.

[truefan72]

Here's a major team in major disarray that no amount of money will fix. While there's no "I" in team, the drivers are delt what the engineers give them (based on some of their input). All successful teams have in common is a capable principal that is able to assemble a great team. Toyota has neither an able team principal, nor an able team. Throw all the money you want, but Toyota needs a major shakedown from the top on down, which won't happen. This team will be shut down at the end of next season.

Well said and my sentiments exactly. Something is fundemantally wrong in that team and it is completely perplexing how and why they get things completely wrong. It might be a shining example of exactly how not to run an F1 team. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result everytime. Thier stubborness to change, to break away from a Japanes style autocratic rule over the team (perhaps due to national pride or some other misguided notion) is seriously hurting the teams abilty. Blow the whole thing up and start with a clean slate and fresh approach. Spend good money on recruitong top engineers and a solid team manager rather than on useless R&D flights of fancy. Being in Germany isn't a factor IMO as well.

[Ian McC]

I wonder how long the Toyota F1 programme can continue to wander aimlessly like this, without some fundamental restructuring.

Indeed, I am surprised someone hasn't been made to pay yet.

[PSfan]

Was just thinking, this is a pretty harsh thread based on results of the first Friday practice of the season. Just wondering, at this point what would be cosidered a good result for Toyota in both Qualifying, and Race results in Australia?

[Osella]

I think 1 point would be considered a good result! Ironic considering their first Australian GP result...

And it's not a harsh thread based on that, it's been that way since the Williams was launched!
Most people with any knowledge of F1 don't even see Toyota anymore, they just see Jaguar, but in Red and White...

Toyota should have just provided the resources to a race team (a la Honda), but instead they played a stupid game of Japanese one-upmanship and are proving so, so well that an F1 team based on a marketing plan just does not work!!!

As for all this bo*****s about 'they always succeed', well that's just wrong. CART? No. BTCC? No. Le Mans? No. WSC? No. WRC with the big-budget Corolla? No.
Toyota have won nothing of note in international motorsport in the last 12 years, with the exception of the Japanese/Super GT championship. How, exactly does that make their F1 title 'inevitable'?

You don't sack someone like Mike Gascoyne (one of the originator's of Jordan's championship challenge, and the Benetton/Renault design philosophy that has brought them back to the top), if you have half a clue about how to run an F1 operation!

[Wilderness]

Was just thinking, this is a pretty harsh thread based on results of the first Friday practice of the season. Just wondering, at this point what would be cosidered a good result for Toyota in both Qualifying, and Race results in Australia?

Make it to the round of 16 qualifiers on their own merit (not because of someone else's failure) and 10th place in the race also on their own.

[ClarkFan]

Its a good thing for Toyota that Williams will be on track to save them face (and, ironically, humble them). Its early times, I know, but already they are an embarassment to themselves. SPANKED by their own customer, Williams, in both sessions is just shameful. If they don't rebound today, maybe they should think about buying last years Williams chassis, eh?

Frank is working hard to find the dosh to keep Williams F1 going - I'm sure he would quote them an attractive price.

There is an interesting parallel between Toyota and Honda's entry through BAR. BAR was an overfunded flop, with an underperforming but highly paid driver until Richards was brought in to shake things up. I know that opinions about the JV/Richards clash are varied, but BAR had done nothing through 2002, got better quickly and then floundered after Richards left. Honda got a bit better last year, but the jury is still out on their performance.

Perhaps that is Toyota's answer - through the many, large bags of money they are now spending at a racer's organization like Prodrive (or Williams F1!) and declare that the new, improved Team Toyota.

Personally, I would like to see all the large manufacturers (Toyota, Honda, BMW, Daimler, Renault) get out of the team ownership business and just be engine suppliers. Honda certainly has been better served in that role - 3 race wins on their own vs. 6 Constructors Championships in a row as an engine supplier. Even Renault hasn't attained the same dominance they enjoyed powering Williams and Benetton.

ClarkFan

[tintop]

My Brother-in-law works for Toyota development and is a huge F1 fan... I'm beginning to worry about my sister.

[jens]

Toyota managed to outclass Williams today, so you guys were gloating too early.