Toyota will not be returning to Formula 1, saying that the pinnacle of motor racing is out of touch with its customer base. The Japanese automaker pulled out of F1 last year after seven years in the sport. Racing events that allow closer connection with the fans, such as Nascar in the US and the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany are the new priorities, revealed Toyota’s racing program head and ex F1-team boss Tadashi Yamashina.
New president Akio Toyoda, who assumed the role in June 2009, is the main influence behind this change of thinking. Throw in the company’s worst financial showing in 70 years and the F1 pull out was inevitable. But it wasn’t the sole reason, as many believe. “It might not have been so abrupt, but it would have happened,” Yamashina said of the pull out. “President Toyoda’s stance on motor sports is geared more toward the customer. There is a big gap between Formula 1 and Toyota’s actual car users.” Calling F1 too “elitist”, Yamashina pointed out that the Nurburgring race, for instance, allowed fans to get into the pit lane, mingle with the teams and even touch the cars. In F1, you’ve got to be either rich, famous, well connected (or a combination of the above) to stroll the paddock!
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the man certainly got a valid point there…..
Have to agree with you there as well mate…
agree!!!!
F1 not really fans friendly at paddock…
more like a showcase of so-called high-class racing family…
I have to agree 100%.. The man has a point….
F1 car looks nothing like road car….
I remember in AFOS few years back where we can get up an close with the cars. Now that is motorsport.
Not something only rich and famous can have access to .
Look at F1 nowdays…. boring as ever…..
The best is WTCC which is fan friendly and full of action….that is what we want.
agreed..
Couldn’t agree any less , look at the Aussies promoting their own races down under racing their home made Holdens and Fords against the likes of BMWs and Hondas.
I think it makes more marketing sense being closer to the people who can afford to buy their cars , P1 should change and follow maybe as it is making more bang for the bucks spent that counts.
100% agreed….F1 got nothing to do with toyota buyers,…they should go into Touring car racing too, more relevant to normal cars
If you say so, F1 got nothing to do with BMW, low cost airline, plantation company etc as well. And barely has something to do with Ferarri.
I don’t think he has a valid point. What he probably meant by lack of fan interaction is that “potential Toyota buyers don’t watch F1”. Nobody’s gonna watch a Toyota F1 car and say “I NEED A TOYOTA!”. Nice spin of words eh Mr Toyoda…
Please bring back the days of the Supra :(. Stop making boring cars.
Even if they bring back Supra it has nothing to do with F1.
It’s two different category.
Don’t u get it?
Trust the Japanese to be the practical one..
Dont worry… there are still EGOIST out there too…. like our Malaysian Tony
Lets see how long he can continue burning money to feed his ego
burning our money u mean??? 1 malaysia f1 team sponsored by 1 rakyat’s money
its alwiz easier to fool around with OPM and this case is certainly no different
Exactly how much of your money being burn by Tony?
I have to agree with Toyoda, F1 is elitist. That is why Proton should never involve in F1 as a contender. Proton should persuade the real Lotus to join F1 instead to boost lotus’s brand image. The only reason Lotus was legendary is because of Collin Chapman and his involvement in F1 . There are only 3 car brands that people associate with F1; Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus.
Oh by the way, Toyota will surely get back into F1 if mr Bernie allow hybrids to race. Hehehe.
F1 for rich guy, all celebrities, not for consumer like us, need to touch the F1 car, can, but the old version.
1000% agreed. F1 is rich guy game. Even old version F1 car also never touch, maybe just can get the small model F1 toy car.
bla bla bla… your car not even fast!
bla bla bla.. big loser in F1 history is toyota.
bla bla bla moving forward with stucked pedal
bla bla bla.. you loser! shut up!
agree with you bmpower. LOSER will always find excuses.
Although they didnt win but at least the team was on the podium before. Did bm do better than toyota in 2009? Why bm withdrawn from F1 also? bm also has recalls this year.
The management made the right choice for such a good timing followed with others bad impacts. Anyway, keep it up toyota and hope to see the team in the race track again.
Don’t let the talent and passion die away and the world needs competition to survive.
never a fan of toy-otak, but agree with what this guy comment about F1…
Sportscar, GT , and Touring car racing is where Toyota should return to.
lol.. what do you expect.. toyota hasn’t got any exciting or performance biased car catered for the public… most of them are boring cars made for normal ppl, not enthusiasts.. so you expect your customers to support your F1 team?
FIA created too much ridiculous rules & regulations for F1…
FIA also do the same with all car race that they organize….
After Toyota spent ship load of money to compete in F1 for years without any decent result, they suddenly realised that it is out of touch? Typical Japanese excuse to save face. F1 didn’t suddenly become elitist, it was elitist right from the start in the GP era thru today’s F1 incarnation.
toyoda the ceo is the best actor of the year with his stupid faked face same as vios dugong looks
ahahah…how true
u fool, he is the grandson of toyota’s founder! What some actor or what?
poddah la toyota….better go back and make more ugly vans.
toyota – moving forward until cannot stop
I very happy to see Toyota like that, back to its roots. I believe they should enter back WRC as this connects to many motorsports fans and toyota used to do well in the WRC. WTCC should be a consideration as well.
What he says on F1 is extractly spot on. In Monaco or Sgpore, it is only enjoyed by rich elites who dont care about racing. Its all about fame and status. Nascar is well loved by their fans and Super GT is doing great service to their fans. F1? Show me the money 1st pal……
toyota got…, that old superrassss!!
nice call
You have to agree there. But then if toyota is like redbull now, don’t think he will say the same thing.
He’s got a point. WRC, touring cars, LeMans are more relevant to road cars than F1.
F1 used to be driven by macho blue collar workers (and a few rich kids) looking for some thrills. Now it’s driven by millionaires too scared to do anything and looking out for endorsement deals. But I’m still watching it. For now.
BULLSH*T
from Toyota… after cannot win any races say this…. if they win they say something else.
Toyota Moving Forward …. with Stuck Accelerator Paddle and cannot stop!
your final statement is well said man..
i have to say, whatever that toyota guy said is true… but to think that toyota only realize this now, isn’t it too late??? if that’s what you think about formula 1, why bother joining in the first place??? never do market research r????
as for me, whoever think they got money, be it proton, lamborghini, honda, or comes to worse, even Saipa can join Formula1… for sure it’s for fame, ego boost, and also technology… if that’s what you’re seeking for, go for it… but to look for more customer relation like what toyota did here, you might make a wrong step pal…
Come on, they should just accept the worldwide fact; they are not interested in racing and they shouldn’t be there in the first place. The fact is; they suck at it. Its a Toyota for goodness sake. Toyota buyers do not put handling capabilities as a priority. They should just stop trying to entice the sportier market. Stick to what they do best; reliable, safe and economical cars. Loads of people buy those things.
coming from a guy whose team reportedly spent the most monies and got jack results? they simply could not cut it at the highest level of motorsports.
c’mon guys, Toyota F1 program was terminated once Akio Toyoda was elected as Toyota president. it’s clear that he was not in favor of the F1 project thus the termination. Toyota did score some good points and the engine actually look good in the Williams as well.
however, i do personally believe that they should have become an solely an engine supplier and not a full blown in house F1 team since management would always get in the way of decision making….it’s just like Honda, they were great as an engine supplier but never good enough as a full blown team..
i guess Toyota should go back to Rally. i would always remember the Toyota Celica of old…winning all those WRC races…good times..
toyota bubbling because they’re just backmarkers in most circuit…don’t blame F1 when ur car is not fast enough..what a pity
These Nips should just accept the facts that their ‘blue collar’ cars are no match for the Italian or the German, nuff said. When you can’t dance, blame it on the music, stupid Japs.
After going in and out of F1 for many years, only now Toyota realize? Bagero….
Admit it mr Toyoda, after years of copycat and ‘me too’, your machines have yet to make it into the list of ‘elite’ machine, the Billionaire Boys Club must have cars….
F1 is no place for ‘taufu’ quality machine, period.
Not sure I get the point – Renault makes boring mom and pop cars, yet it seems to work for them. Call it the Lexus F1 team instead then, I’m sure your potential IS-F/LF-A owner would show some interest in that.
Who gives a crap about NASCAR outside of the US?
for those who wanted a supercar or sportcar from toyota, will you be able to buy it in time? i guess only a few, the rest wait till it become scrap at japan (recon) and malaysian will buy.
i like toyota for their comfort and reliable build car, i don’t care about having those fussy sport car… toyota has it own focus. if want a sport car, get those M3, M5, RS5 or Golf Gti.
at least they back to their root, quit from F1 and realize the fact. it is never too late for anything in this world.
we r here to share our knowledge….but y some just keep bashing here n thr…go on bashing so that ppl will fill the road with more toyota to shut ur mouth…
even if how good a toyota u might say…ppl will still evaluate…yeah sport car…not all ppl afford….even if afford….u will stil not go for it bcos of many other reasons…
watever…..let’s c wat else they can continue to bash to entertain me hahahaha~
People are just giving toyota a taste of their own medicine. For the record, they’re among the biggest spenders, yet not even a single race win. They’re noob, then suddenly blame F1 being too elitist. NOOB. prrrrrrffffffffffttttttttttt
The thing is , Toyota has some of sportiest car line up of the late 80s & early 80s = Supra, Celica, MR2 , Sprinter Trueno.
And nowadays, most of the car with wearing the Toyota dadges are dull & boring cars.
Toyota should bring back those exciting cars!!
Toyota has started revamp in their own company. New sportier cars has been unveiled…Not a bad move……Leaving F1 is not a bad choice because they will be focusing more on their products than in motor sports.
F1 is only for the rich and powerful ones. Its just like EPL, if you are rich…….You can get any players at any cost you want. Its just a matter of time. By the way, our own LOTUS F1 has done pretty well this season F1. They are doing well and i hope that they will keep up this way……
As I said time and again..F1 has no benefit to the improvement of any road car except for the glamourous marketing. Not a single part in F1 can the engineer learn and put it in a road car. They are totally 2 different animal altogether. Some car manufacturer who says they transfer F1 technology to their road car are totally bullshit. It is all down to ego for participating in F1. Wonder why Mazda is one of the best handling car today? They has been quietly active in grassroot racing and that is the smarter way of transferring your knowledge to a road car. They are also the only japanese car manufacturer to win Le Man 24hrs race.
http://stg.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/static/mazdaSpeedMotorsportsRacingHeritageCommon06.html
100% agreed…furthermore, F1 is not a car….its just an airplane with wings forcing it to go downwards for grips instead of lift for flying….no such resemblance with day to day car. If you think F1 is a car, u’re just kidding yrself
toyota=rednecks/white trash=oval track good. so what’s the non elitist racing level for malaysians? a class where backyard garage teams can compete in and might win?
“so what’s the non elitist racing level for malaysians? a class where backyard garage teams can compete in and might win?”
we have sepang drag race for those power crazy.
we have MME
we have malaysian super series
just a questions, are you really wanted to participate in race? if yes, go to AAM, they have the event schedule.
malaysia autokhana also quite active recently
hahah.. if I have extra cash, maybe I just might… Just like Tony Stark.
they handle well because they are designed to. and they have stuck to the formula. which only applies to the mx5. the rest of their cars handling are merely on par with the competition.
toyota is more involved in motorsports than any other car company. but they havent designed thier cars to handle as well. its not like the average joe is going to be able to afford a good handling toyota since the good one(s) are in the lexus brand. now that is elitist.
btw honda is problably still shitting themselves when brawn gp took over and won the championship.
lotus f1 is a british team. not malaysian.
Toyota says is true….
Unlike our “jaguh kampung” Proton still eagerly want to join F1….Come on, dont let nation
pride get over your head…..
It is a shame to see the malaysia flag and logo on the Lotus car, not we malaysian design the
car or even driver to race , ONLY we contribute money, thats all….
Promote 1 malaysia through f1…TOTALLY LIES
Earn pocket money through F1….TOTALLY YES
if big company like BMW and toyota…
this tiny co like proton join?
you know what, airasia has lot of debt, very sensitive to economic downturn. but now waste money to f1?
Look at Nissan.. they’ve not ventured into F1.. i think best leave it to the supercars and luxury manufacturers.. i.e Ferrari, BMW and Mercedes
what Nissan?
why they should join the F1?…..
Renault already on Track…..
remember Renault own Nissan…