JUNE 24, 2004

Toyota and Briatore

There are rumours today suggesting that Flavio Briatore might be moving to take charge of Toyota's F1 team in 2006. These have been doing the rounds for some time but have come into the spotlight thanks to an article in the French magazine Autohebdo.

There are rumours today suggesting that Flavio Briatore might be moving to take charge of Toyota's F1 team in 2006. These have been doing the rounds for some time but have come into the spotlight thanks to an article in the French magazine Autohebdo. However there does not appear to be anything much behind the stories, apart for an apparent desire on the part of Briatore to get a job after his current Renault contract expires at the end of next year.

We asked Toyota sources in Canada if there was any possibility of Briatore taking control of the F1 team and were told categorically that this was not going to happen. Flavio will therefore have to look elsewhere for employment or dip into his pocket and buy one of the smaller teams or keep in the sport by becoming an engine supplier, as he did with Mecachrome after he was dropped by the Benetton team in the late 1990s.