BlogF1

This is the second in my retrospective posts series, looking back at the previous three season previews I’ve written. This time around it is the other Japanese team, Toyota who feel the wrath of my website history. Ever since joining the circus back in 2002 they’ve never really looked like winning, this despite their enormous budget, one that is often considered to be the largest on the grid. My first preview came about just prior to the 2006 season when the team were riding the relative high of 2005. By 2008, the squad had received an ultimatum of sorts from the parent company, frustrated by the lack of results from the masses of investment. They have a couple of years to sort themselves out to avoid the might of Toyota’s accountants, no doubt. Continue Reading

The 2008 season will be Toyota’s seventh in Formula One and it could prove to be very important for the future of the squad. Since their inaugural season in 2002, the highly-funded team have have failed to score a victory and have only been on the podium four times, each occasion being a third place finish, 75% of which were during their most successful year to date - 2005. The bosses are looking very carefully at the team, weighing up the pros and cons of continued investment in what is little more than a mobile advertising board. Continue Reading

Having been away from BlogF1 for the last week there is lots of news to catch up on. In particular, Force India launched their 2008 car, the VJM01, night races have become once again a big talking point and Portugal wants a race again, having not been seen on the calendar since 1996 at Estoril. I’ll talk about Force India separately in a later post, but first I need to wade through all the hype that is currently doing the rounds as the teams prepare their new cars for the season start in Australia next month. Here’s what some people are saying about their chances in 2008. Continue Reading

Following this mornings subdued roll out of the Williams FW30, the team have released a few more photos detailing various parts of the car and Sam Michael has spoken to the media. Williams hope this new car will be a step forward in performance and help push them closer to the Renaults and BMWs, currently occupying the best of the rest zone behind Ferrari and McLaren. The car’s interim livery is also particularly special, thanking the 519 strong workforce at the team for their support and contribution to the ongoing success of the squad, as well as detailing some of the key sponsors over the 29 years of competition. Continue Reading

As far as launches go, this has to be the lowest-key roll out ever. Williams had stated previously that they weren’t too concerned about not holding an official launch party for their new 2008 challenger, citing reasons of there’s nothing to announce. Nico Rosberg is on a long-term contract, Kazuki Nakajima was confirmed last year, Toyota are still the squad’s engine partner and little else has changed, aside from the car. So instead, Williams opted to simply roll the new FW30 car out of the garage and get on with testing. Which, due to dense fog at Valencia this morning, lasted one lap. Continue Reading

The third day of testing at Jerez came to its conclusion a short while ago, and despite the drizzly weather (or maybe because of it) Timo Glock managed to place his Toyota at the top of the tables. The German completed 96 laps and finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton, partnering his team mate Heikki Kovalainen for today. And the top three was rounded off with Fernando Alonso, only completing 49 laps on route to a 1m20.363s. Continue Reading

This is a question that has been bugging me for a couple of years now, and one that won’t go away or receive a satisfactory answer. My question centres around Toyota’s continued involvement in Formula One despite a lack of results, made worse by the enormous amount of money the motor manufacturer pours into the team each year. They have achieved very little in the five years they have competed, and the end of the tunnel appears to still be shrouded in darkness as deadlines have recently been made regarding the future of the team. I have been unable to answer the question myself, but perhaps you, dear readers of BlogF1, could enlighten me… Continue Reading

With the new Toyota TF108 launched, the employees at the Cologne headquarters have been busy discussing the 2008 car. The beleaguered squad seem confident that this year will see a turn around in the teams fortunes. I remain skeptical for now though, as this banter is thrown around every year, with added promises that they won’t do as badly as the year previous. And with a two season deadline to produce results, the pressure is on the Japanese team. Continue Reading

Toyota have unveiled their TF108 challenger today, the car they hope will aid a return to form for the Japanese team. After a disastrous 2007 campaign, Toyota looked to be in real trouble, compounded recently when the team principal was given two years to get results. However, today is not one for the team to look back, but one to look forward. Drivers Jarno Truilli and Timo Glock and test driver Kamui Kobayashi took the wraps off the new car at the teams headquarters in Cologne, presenting the 2008 machine to the media. Continue Reading

In the first news round-up of 2008 we take a brief look at some of the stories that hit the headlines over the Christmas and new year period. Toyota have dominated much of the media with sponsors moving around, Williams also made news today by opting out of a big launch and Ralf Schumacher remains in the sports shadows, speaking for the first time about his ‘time out’ decision. Continue Reading