JULY 10, 2000

Who is going to run Toyota?

THERE are whispers in the Formula 1 world that Toyota has found someone to run its Formula 1 operations in Cologne and that the person in question will be able to attract a large number of British engineers to join the team which is currently being put together in Germany. The identity of the man in question is not known but there are a very limited number of people in F1 with the necessary skills to run a team and with sufficient popularity to convince team members to relocate to Germany.

The implication is that there is a group of people who are used to working together and may be employed at the moment by one of the existing F1 teams.

The news, if confirmed, is very good for Toyota which to date has seemed to think that it can do the job itself with its old staff from the Toyota rally and sportscar teams. It seems, however, that wiser counsel has prevailed and that the team is recruiting. Basing the team in Cologne is not perfect but it is not impossible to operate from there, although winning will be another matter.