trumperZ06

Toyota joins Honda, BMW, and Bridgestone tires in leaving F1.... it was confirmed today.

Looks like all the major Japanese manufacturers have withdrawn.

RajDatta

The positive to all this, Sauber gets in .
Raj

Juan Lopez

Without races in the USA it really did not make a lot of sense. This is the largest market for Honda and Toyota (pretty large for BMW also). If the FIA bosses keep on looking at other horizons, the major carmakers cannot make a business case for participation.

Lets hope that Toyota refocuses into Le Mans as they did in the past.

Chaos

Bernie inc...

multi21

^^^ Exactly! I wonder how many cars they sell in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain as comnpared to the US?

Potomac-Greg

A little OT, but Subaru stunned the WRC crowd when they pulled out, leaving Ford and Citroen as the only factory cars.

Maybe Japanese manufacturers are keeping their powder dry for something else? Or just hunkering down for a couple of years.

paralleltangent

Crap, I guess it's back to dad's sushi restaurant for Kobayashi (http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,1895...671687,00.html). I won't necessarily lament the exit of Toyota, but I was hoping I could look forward to watching Kamui next year.

fast_freddy

The commercial rights holder of F1 needs to fire Bernie. Ultimately Toyota, Honda, BMW and MB need more US exposure, thats where their clienst are, well at least 60% of them. Without a US GP (We should have two) and a GP in our 51st state (Canada) Bernie there is less and less of a reason for them to be in F1. Bernie only focuses on what brings in moolah today rather than what makes the "business" of F1 successful long term. Look at the tracks that are being brought into play now, all Tilke designed, all have zero passing, all are dull as ****. Great facilities yes, but do the fans give a ****? It's only the trend sucking dilletantes (hollywood types) that care about that. Look at Spa, Monza, Paul Ricard, Kyalami, Silverstone, etc.. They all provide exciting racing. Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Shanghai, etc..... Yawn

F1 needs to focus on what makes people talk about it beyond die hard fans like us. Thats whats going to keep the likes of Toyota in F1.

ltc

I thought Bernie WAS the exclusive commercial rights holder of F1 for something like 100 years

Potomac-Greg

One race in the US is not much exposure, especially when the viewership in the US is so low, and when the cars themselves bear no visual or mechanical relationship to anything sold on the street, and when there is virtually no following for F1 drivers in the US.

As an aside, look at the many big sponsor names in F1. Vodaphone, Etihad, Petronas, FIAT. What do they achieve having races in the US?

NASCAR sells Chevys not because their race car is like their street car, but because Bubba wants to drive the same brand car that Dale, Derrick, Darryl and Dave drives. F1 needs one or two US races, two or three US teams and two or three US drivers. We'll accept Canadian in a pinch.

Bob Rouleau

Bernie signed a contract with himself giving him the rights for 99 years a few years back.

With Honda out and Toyota not being a winner I can see how their board questions the expense especially in light of bottom line losses - a first for them and certainly traumatic. They have been selling rather dull cars on the basis on quality and reliability - quite unrelated to anything in F1.

NJ-GT

Toyota needs to move out of F1 and reinforce their presence in NASCAR. All they sell is dull and boring sedans.

I own a 2003 Celica, years ago there were exciting cars, Supra, Celica, MR2. Now they just build boring, floppy, dull cars. As long as they stay away from exciting cars, they don't have my business.

By the way, that overpriced and heavy Lexus LF-A will prove to be the worst business decision since the Pontiac Aztek and VW Phaeton.

rusnak

Toyota will come back into profitability. I can understand why they quit F1. They need to turn around the company, and F1 is a huge expense for them. I wonder which other sponsors will quit.

This year I have totally lost interest in F1. I blame Mosely and his ridiculous rules tinkering, ****ty qualifying, use of re-fueling to affect racing, etc. They should have addressed the tracks first, and looked at the race weekends from a fan's perspective. The job of the FIA should be to protect racing, not their own power.

trumperZ06

It's now about an "even money" bet...

that Renault will be the next team exiting Formula One.

Michelin has responded to Bridgestone's leaving F1 with...

"Not Interested" reply.

Goodyear likewise.

This is not looking good for Bernie and his gangsters.

FGL28

I cannot believe that Bernie did not see this coming. Japanese companies companies follow each other and talk. With Honda leaving Toyota was sure to follow. And the change to no refueling ment the current tyres are not going to last so it is a lose lose situation for Bridgestone.

If things get better they will return. Remember Honda left before.