Toyota announces WRC plans

[Lundefaret]

what do You think of the challenge in terms of logistics and international team based in Finland? we all know Makkinen is excellent driver, and probably will be good as wrc team manager, but it'll work more "globally"?

Team base in Finland:

Pros:
- Can become very a tight nit group
- A lot of local rally knowledge
- A lot of test roads
- Many very clever Finns in computer industry (Nokia and others)
- Tommi (team manager) is on home soil, and whiten comfort zone
- Good local production of specialized parts (Nokia and more)

Cons:
- Can be difficult to attract foreigners
- Most locals speak poor English
- Further to go travel most rallies and tests outside Finland
- Difficult if there is a change of team manager in the future (less options if not successful)

But, a WRC effort is European no matter where You build You base.
Both the test team and the WRC team proper is on the road most of the year, and they do a lot of km ´s, so I personally don't think its travel distance that is the deciding factor.
To be able to have some very good test roads out the back door can be a huge benefit, that is an enormous luxury not common with European based teams. So the total km´s traveled including "day-to-day" testing can actually be quit similar if one takes this in to account. The important factor here is to find roads with different characters, and on both gravel, snow and tarmac.

Going with the gut feeling, I would suggest placing the team in Finland.
Going with a more objective frame of mind it would be strange not to use the TMG facilities.
A compromise would be to have the main base in Europe, and a satellite base in Finland.

What do I think will happen?
Toyoda has said that this is not going to be run from TMG, but from his own Gazoo Racing. Gazoo Racing Europe will be a "new" company, and I interpret that as this effort will be built from scratch. Japan, Europe, Finland? My best guess of right now is actually that it will be based in Finland, but I would like to hear more qualified guesses

What do You think StefanVV?

[Lundefaret]

Tomi in racing shoes...
http://www.rallye-magazin.de/wm/vide...gt86-4x4-test/

This is Nose End First-porn
So many nuances of well timed inputs, and a clear overall plan of the driving. And such a willingness to be slow in some parts of the corner to be fast overall. Text book

[Lundefaret]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=pvp3__Oegf0

[Simmi]

It will be interesting to see how they integrate the Japanese driver(s) into the programme. Another random element to this whole thing. Are they making an R5 car too? In addition to actually pulling everything together to make this work, they ideally need to also enter some WRC rounds next year to get some foundations.

[N.O.T]

if the decide to hand the project to tommi then it will just become a half arsed job with no potential like mini.

[stefanvv]

What do You think StefanVV?

What do I think? Well in first place I think it'll be nice to have wrc team based in Finland, for a variety if You wish. I'm glad exactly Makkinen will be involved in this quest, he seem very balanced person as a driver, and probably will be very good team manager too.
For the testing roads I agree, base in Finland would be the closest to the best Rally roads in the world. I slightly remember some interview in the past with a Finnish driver answering why the Finns are the best drivers in the world, and he said just because we have all variety of Rally roads and weather conditions in Finland..... but that was probably at least 15 years ago and probably Makkinen was the driver.

I know nothing about Nokia electronics and Automotive industry, but they make excellent phones.

I think a German-Finnish base would be great choice using the already established facilities and Services in Germany and do the development & testing in Finland.

All-in-all I'm glad for Toyota making that decision, for me it seem TMG are little "burned out". Their last effort with WEC is turning into disaster very quickly this year, but for sure I don't know the reasons, it may have to do something with exactly this "reconstruction"?!?

[AndyRAC]

The way some people on here are talking, you'd think the WEC effort had been an unmitigated disaster. They did actually win it last year (or did I imagine it).
However, something has happened, not just to the WEC programme, but other projects, which seem to have been pulled/ delayed.

As for drivers, they'll surprise everyone and pick a Finn and a French, plus a Japanese youngster....

[stefanvv]

The way some people on here are talking, you'd think the WEC effort had been an unmitigated disaster.

Just for the record for WEC I was referring this year so far, I watch WEC races and I'm well aware what TMG achieved there. Sure I don't know what Mr. Toyoda plans are for the future about TMG so only guessing....

[Simmi]

I think TMG have worked wonders so far in the WEC. They brought the programme forward early and the car was quickly winning races. They absolutely dominated last season with a much inferior budget and really should have won Le Mans.

Toyota have not given them anywhere near the funding that their VAG rivals have on tap and that has bitten them badly this year. I don't think they forgot how to build a good car. They just got out-developed. The weakest part of it is the Toyota engine which they didn't even build.

So I don't subscribe to the fact that they aren't a competent team. The biggest issue for them, and I fear this WRC project, stems from Japanese boardrooms.

[stefanvv]

Toyota have not given them anywhere near the funding that their VAG rivals have on tap and that has bitten them badly this year.

AUDI don't have the same funding as before since Porsche came in, but that's little OT. In general yes, TMG has done much better in WEC than F1 effort....