Toyota announces WRC plans

[EstWRC]

Another new one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiH0h5q4quY

[dimviii]

Another new one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiH0h5q4quY

according to editor,Jarmo Lehtinen was co driving

[skarderud]

Tommi has done lots of development and driving last 15 years, he do for living for a Long time very good subaru gr.N rallycars.

[er88]

I think it's great for the team Tommy doing the initial testing. He can get first hand knowledge of how the car is driving, and what obvious weaknesses it has straight off the bat. That's a great position to be in for a team leader.

Then it'll be Hanninen/ Mikko who I'm sure will take over and do most of the work when Toyota start ramping up the testing programmes. People on here with more knowledge will be able to correct me if I'm wrong, but i think the plan for Toyota to have 3 cars running simultaneously all over Europe in a few weeks time sounds very positive. That'll be more testing miles than any other team is going to be doing I'd bet.

Unfortunately for Toyota they didn't manage to recruit an excellent test driver/ #1 driver for next year, like Meeke. Kris will be able to put his mark on the C3 and Ogier/Mikkelsen and Jari can do the same for the Polo.

From watching the videos it's a very intriguing sound, totally different to the C3 and VW. It's hard to tell from the videos and maybe I'm mistaken, but compared to watching videos of the c3 and VW it looks like the Yaris might not have the same great acceleration out of slower corners? It does remind me of the first time seeing the i20 testing, something just didn't look totally 'right' but it was hard to put a finger on it.

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[dimviii]

Tommi has done lots of development and driving last 15 years, he do for living for a Long time very good subaru gr.N rallycars.

there is nothing common between a production car and a new wrc car.
Except that to develop a wrc car without have drive other wrc cars doesnt help too.

[AndyRAC]

This baffles me as well, Lampi was well known for doing most of the testing for Makinen during Mitsubishi years, and Lampi didn`t join Subaru... It`s really strange to read Makinen is considered top test driver of all time (by some) as I haven`t heard anything even remotely similar... He was a very very good, in fact best of his time, driver yes, but test driver?? Anyway I won`t get into more debate with this, lets just all hope Toyota will be competitive with the others so we get a good series.

Well there was a running joke that Lampi did most of the testing (with Burns), Tommi would turn up, and have a few runs, and decide Yes or No on settings, etc Then go back home. I've read that Kankkunen and even McRae were similar...
He was never known to be like Sainz, who was famous for his thoroughness.

[Rallyper]

So if you should bring up a new car, would you hire Camilli, Abbring or Lefbvre or any other young unexperienced guy to do initial tests or should you maybe consider a multiple champion instead?

[dimviii]

So if you should bring up a new car, would you hire Camilli, Abbring or Lefbvre or any other young unexperienced guy to do initial tests or should you maybe consider a multiple champion instead?

are these the only choices?

[sollitt]

I´m rational and make my comments after more than 50 years experience as a rallydriver/organizer/freak. ... .

Yes Per, you have a long varied involvement in the sport, as do I and a number of others who frequent the forum. Perhaps that's why we can recall those who, over the past 5 or so decades, have shaped history and we understand the contributions, efforts and sacrifices they made. And how they are deserving of our respect, not our ridicule.

[Mirek]

So if you should bring up a new car, would you hire Camilli, Abbring or Lefbvre or any other young unexperienced guy to do initial tests or should you maybe consider a multiple champion instead?

Did You make that selection in purpose? How about those who actually worked on some car's development? Mark Higgins, Sebastian Lindholm, Raimund Baumschlager, Freddy Loix, Roman Kresta, Bryan Bouffier, Paolo Andreucci...

You don't need big names for making a good car because driving fast isn't the same as being able to develop a car. Many cars were developed by "nameless" drivers who never won anything with them.

Just like Dimviii I just don't have a good feeling about the whole Tommi's Toyota project even though I wish it all the best (also to Juho Hänninen).