Toyota Drop Da Matta ....
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3537850.stm
Toyota drop Da Matta
Toyota have replaced Cristiano da Matta with test driver Ricardo Zonta for the rest of the Formula One season. Da Matta was expected to go at the end of the season when Ralf Schumacher and, probably, Jarno Trulli join, but Toyota have opted for an early change.
Team boss Tsutomu Tomita said: "We revised our original plans after the results of the last three grands prix.
"Zonta has performed very well, and it is fair to offer him the chance to show his potential in full race conditions."
Zonta has experience of racing in Formula One having spent two seasons with BAR as well as two races in a Jordan in 2001 - his last grand prix outings.
He will get his first chance to show he is ready for a racing return next weekend in Hungary.
Toyota have endured a difficult season and and Tomita revealed that Da Matta's disappointing form meant he was axed instead of Olivier Panis.
"We decided to retain Panis as a race driver for the rest of this season, based on the fact that he is the driver who has secured the team's best race result of the year so far.
"And has collected the higher number of championship points.
"Da Matta will remain a Toyota driver until the end of 2004 and could still be called upon to undertake activities accordingly."
Da Matta is expected to return to the United States at the end of the season, where he built his reputation in Champ Cars.
Toyota drop Da Matta
Toyota have replaced Cristiano da Matta with test driver Ricardo Zonta for the rest of the Formula One season. Da Matta was expected to go at the end of the season when Ralf Schumacher and, probably, Jarno Trulli join, but Toyota have opted for an early change.
Team boss Tsutomu Tomita said: "We revised our original plans after the results of the last three grands prix.
"Zonta has performed very well, and it is fair to offer him the chance to show his potential in full race conditions."
Zonta has experience of racing in Formula One having spent two seasons with BAR as well as two races in a Jordan in 2001 - his last grand prix outings.
He will get his first chance to show he is ready for a racing return next weekend in Hungary.
Toyota have endured a difficult season and and Tomita revealed that Da Matta's disappointing form meant he was axed instead of Olivier Panis.
"We decided to retain Panis as a race driver for the rest of this season, based on the fact that he is the driver who has secured the team's best race result of the year so far.
"And has collected the higher number of championship points.
"Da Matta will remain a Toyota driver until the end of 2004 and could still be called upon to undertake activities accordingly."
Da Matta is expected to return to the United States at the end of the season, where he built his reputation in Champ Cars.
I'm just waiting for Ralf to begin spitting his dummy when he realises that next years Williams will be a damn sight better than the Toyota.
He can't raise his game when he's in a badly handling front running car, god know's what he'll be like in a back of the grid Toyota!!!
Shame for Da Matta, he's a damn good driver. He should have had a good shot at making it in F1. When a company the size of Toyota come walking in with the cheque book, you'd expect to at least have a decent midfield car underneath you.
He can't raise his game when he's in a badly handling front running car, god know's what he'll be like in a back of the grid Toyota!!!
Shame for Da Matta, he's a damn good driver. He should have had a good shot at making it in F1. When a company the size of Toyota come walking in with the cheque book, you'd expect to at least have a decent midfield car underneath you.
Agreed, Toyota look to be making some silly decisions.
Granted, de Matta was pretty underwhelming and was probably not cheap either.
The management must be under lots of pressure. Toyota will be VERY embarassed at the loss of face , now that Honda are outperforming them so convincingly.
And hiring Ralph looks like a ridiculous decision. His motivation is very brittle, and if the Toyota is anything less than competitive he will become a middle of the pack also ran just parading round the track for a point or two.
Toyota should hire young, hungry and gifted drivers. There are plenty of them around, many from the UK !
Granted, de Matta was pretty underwhelming and was probably not cheap either.
The management must be under lots of pressure. Toyota will be VERY embarassed at the loss of face , now that Honda are outperforming them so convincingly.
And hiring Ralph looks like a ridiculous decision. His motivation is very brittle, and if the Toyota is anything less than competitive he will become a middle of the pack also ran just parading round the track for a point or two.
Toyota should hire young, hungry and gifted drivers. There are plenty of them around, many from the UK !
Gazboy said:
Racefan_uk said:
When a company the size of Toyota come walking in with the cheque book, you'd expect to at least have a decent midfield car underneath you.
Isn't this their second season? How did McLaren or Williams fare in their second season, or Benaton, Jordan & Sauber?
Toyota have aslways come top (or near it) in their chosen events, like GT1 sports cars, JGTC and WRC.
Give it a few years, and they will be among the front runners. Valentino Rossi is enquiring a drive for Toyota when he gives up motogp in possibly as soon as two years time.
It's their third season, they're going backwards and they change drivers like most people change socks! They seem to have no strategy and no idea about how to win. They were banned for a season of WRC because they were caught cheating and I don't recall their mega-budget Le Mans car winning either. Signing Ralph & (probably) Trulli shows they haven't got a clue. The teams you list were independents, not the 3rd largest car manufacturer in the world!
>> Edited by mg511 on Thursday 5th August 17:03
Gazboy said:
Isn't this their second season? How did McLaren or Williams fare in their second season, or Benaton, Jordan & Sauber?
Toyota have alsways come top (or near it) in their chosen events, like GT1 sports cars, JGTC and WRC.
Give it a few years, and they will be among the front runners. Valentino Rossi is enquiring a drive for Toyota when he gives up motogp in possibly as soon as two years time.
This has already been said, but...
The teams you mention were privateers. Toyota has entered the F1 World Championship as a manufacturer, building a purpose built premises, employing expensive people, aiming to win the World Championship within its first five year.
Hmmm, can't see that happening, can you?
Gazboy said:
Isn't this their second season? How did McLaren or Williams fare in their second season, or Benaton, Jordan & Sauber?
Toyota have aslways come top (or near it) in their chosen events, like GT1 sports cars, JGTC and WRC.
Give it a few years, and they will be among the front runners. Valentino Rossi is enquiring a drive for Toyota when he gives up motogp in possibly as soon as two years time.
Its year 3 for Toyota. McLaren and Williams were unrecognisable in their guise at this point in their existance (i think at a similar time to where Toyota is now we are talking late sixties for both teams).
McLaren were without Ron Dennis' Project 4 (the 'P4' bit in the model code) and Frank Williams was yet to build his own cars and was running old brabhams etc.
Renault/Benetton/ were still Toleman at this point in their life
Jordan were showing promise with little dosh in '93, Rubens nearly finishing 3rd at Donington
Sauber with HHF in 1995 were struggling with the Ford Zetec-R V8 but scoring points.
I think the issue is that even though F1 is a much tougher game than even 10 years ago, their budget is so huge they *should* be doing better.
There are very few teams who ever had so much money at this point in their existence. Certainly none of those mentioned above had so much money!
Their decisions (axing drivers mid season, hiring Ralf etc) shows knee jerk reactions and poor general decision making. They should have never got rid of McNish and Salo *at the same time* at such an improtant, pivotal, stage in their existence.
>> Edited by jimmyc412t2 on Thursday 5th August 20:16
Hmmm
I'd be inclined to agree that they should not have gotten rid of McNish, and after reading the previous comments, that looks to have been a knee-jerk reaction too.
I just don't get how they can have that size of budget to play with and yet three years into the game, they still haven't gained any perceptive improvements.
Another thing, I'd quite happily bet some money that if Minardi were given Toyotas budget, they would make much better use of it than Toyota are doing.
I'd be inclined to agree that they should not have gotten rid of McNish, and after reading the previous comments, that looks to have been a knee-jerk reaction too.
I just don't get how they can have that size of budget to play with and yet three years into the game, they still haven't gained any perceptive improvements.
Another thing, I'd quite happily bet some money that if Minardi were given Toyotas budget, they would make much better use of it than Toyota are doing.
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