Toyota warns of possible withdrawal

Toyota team principal John Howett has warned that the team may leave F1 if the FIA doesn't make it clear that it wants car manufacturers in the sport. FIA president Max Mosley has for a while been championing the cause for independent teams.

"It's all quite unclear at the moment," Howett told Autosport. "Are we welcome or not? If we're really not welcome it should be made clear. The FIa has to udnerstand that we are being asked to commit to F1 until the end of 2012 without giving any indication of whether we're wanted."

"We're prepared to commit to F1, but we need certain core values to remain," he added. "that means for example that it has to remain the pinnacle of motorsport. If F1 can't remain the pinnacle, the board will have to decide on the company's participation."



More like that are crap spent lots of money and still now won who would miss them? no one

That's pretty stupid. Why would the FIA not want the manufacturers on board?

I think the FIA would want manufacturers on board, but not at the expense of privately-run teams. That's always struck me as being Max's view.

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what else do they want they get to use there own track as well from next year

That says a lot about why Toyota can't get it together. I'd be quite happy to see them replaced by one of the hopefulls in '08.

Nico bites yer tyres!

bye Toyoda!

This is a bit of a silly position for the team to take. Max has made no secret that he dosen't want manufacturers controlling the sport, but of course they are welcome to enter the contest.

I think Toyota are having thier ego's badly battered by the intense competition in F1 and are probably starting to get sick of burning money. Declaring that they are 'un-welcome' may be a convinient way out for them....

can see their point, the only car manufacturer they seem to want in f1 is ferrari because of their history. from the outside, it seems like they're just not interested who else is in f1...

but it'd be better having 12 williams-like teams that run around the track pretty quickly on not that much of a budget than 12 toyota-like teams that burn money wherever they can.

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I don't see anything wrong in what he said.

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i see it as they have failed to win a race so get out and use that as an excuse

gotta agree with marcl ...

It's just sour grapes from Toyota. If the FIA didn't want manufacturers in F1 why has the GPDA suddenly gone all quiet?

Toyota wants to win in like 4 years, if they would hire Schumacher today (M.) he should become worldchampion next season... They are to eager for results and don't have any patience. I rather see them go then stay.

The biggest problem is that the Japanese dudes at the Toyota HQ watch a GP on TV and decide what has to happen, instead of the teamboss....

Beetje jammer

And now they are claiming Mike Gascoyne has been the cause of their problems. Excuses, excuses. In F1 there are no excuses. You put up or shut up. As a Williams fan I've been dreading the possibility oh having Toyota/Lexus engins in the back. Maybe they'll be better if Toyota pull out and concentrate on building a good engine for customers to use.
Or not!

Nico bites yer tyres!

I agree with Marcl and Razorsedge, it's just an excuse so when they pull out due to bruning money and winning nothing, they can blame someone else. good riddance i say, i've never felt passionate for them anyway.

while ferrari can be considered a manufacturer, they sell road cars to fund their passion for racing. toyota have admitted only being in F1 to sell road cars, that's the difference.

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i find it interesting the "selling road cars and f1" thing. i wonder how much extra they sell from being in f1? quite an interesting topic.

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F1 Racing did an article on that last season, i think they said it was generally successful, selling cars in countries where they didn't before they were in F1.

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

renualt claim their car sales did better.

I can not see people buing a bmw or merc or ferrari due to f1, people buy them if they have money.

Honda are trying to market their cars for younger people thats y they are in btcc as well.

if kia was in f1 they prob. sell more
cars.it would'nt get out of pits though

i hope vw enter and general motors but dont think they will.