Ferrari blame FIA old guard for Toyota's demise

Thursday 5th November 2009

Ferrari have blamed "those who managed Formula 1 over the past few years" and not the economic crisis for Toyota's decision to leave Formula One.

Toyota announced their immediate withdrawal from the sport on Wednesday, bringing the number of manufacturers to have walked away to three in the past year as Honda and BMW also quit F1.

The Japanese manufacturer cited the "current severe economic realities" for their decision, however, Ferrari reckon the blame rests with former FIA President Max Mosley.

"It could be seen as a parody of "Ten Little Indians," the detective novel by Agatha Christie, first published in England back in 1939, but the reality is much more serious," said the team's website.

"Formula 1 continues to lose major players: in the past twelve months, Honda, BMW, Bridgestone and Toyota have announced they are leaving the sport.

"In exchange, so to speak, we will now have, Manor, Lotus (at least in name only, as this incarnation has little to do with the team that gave us Colin Chapman, Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna to name but a few,) USF1 and Campos Meta.

"Can we claim that it's a case of like for like, just because the numbers sitting around the table are the same? Hardly and we must also wait and see just how many of them will really be there on the grid for the first race of next season in Bahrain and how many will still be there at the end of 2010.

"The reality is that this gradual defection from the F1 fold has more to do with a war waged against the major car manufacturers by those who managed Formula 1 over the past few years, than the result of any economic crisis.

"In Christie's work of fiction, the guilty party was only uncovered when all the other characters died, one after the other. Do we want to wait for this to happen or do we want to pen a different ending to the book on Formula 1?"

Your Comments

F1Naija

"Well said Ferrari. Well said."

cwS5

"F1 has been mis-managed for years by too many people with self interest their prime motivation. I don't doubt Toyota, BMW & Honda's principle reason for withdrawal was financial but I think their decisions were made so much easier by the ongoing wars that F1 insiders seem to thrive on. With Mosely gone, I can only hope Ecclestone soon follows. F1 needs a comprehensive overhaul, and quickly. "

davratta

"Ferrari's analogy is to literary and complicated. They are making a thinly veiled reference to Bernie Echolstone, blaming him for Toyota's demise. It is much easier to blame Jarno Trulli. He failed to win a race in 2009, despite having a car that was good enough to get through to Q3 at most races. Jarno even had pole posistion in Bahrin, but failed to win. While on the podium at Australia Jarno was flexing his muscles. He lost that podium after the race, complained about that steward's decision at touched off the whole "liar-gate" scandel. Glock did get on the podium at Japan, but whatever good-will the Toyota F1 team earned was quickly washed away by Jarno Trulli's irrate behaviour in Brazil, which he compounded, by waving around a photo of his incident with Sutil during the run-up to the season finale. Toyota's board probably felt the Toyota F1 team was just to embaressing, F1 to much of a circus, and it was the easiest thing to jetison during a global recession. "

hunt

"You ve got to laugh at the ferrari team for blaming max for the exodus, with todt at the fia helm!! i am not surprised their leaving, but what surprises me is that mc claren and mercedes are staying, despite their $50m invoice , i am puzzled "

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