Toyota Formula One Team

Toyota

Will Toyota ever supply value for money? That was the question being asked up and down the paddock after a mediocre 2006 season for a team that boasts, if 'boasts' is the right word, the biggest budget in the sport.

While the Toyota 'brand' undoubtedly receives gainful exposure from the team's involvement, it is fair to assume that the company's hierarchy will - finally - be demanding real proof that their money is not going to waste in 2007.

While this is their first foray in Formula One, Toyota nonetheless have had a long history in motorsport, with much of their success coming in the World Rally Championship in which they have won seven titles.

They also entered the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1998 and 1999, finishing in second place in 1999 and have had a strong CART presence for a number of years.

2002, their first year in Formula One, was closely watched but yielded no points. Drivers Mika Salo and Allan McNish were widely blamed but given the huge budget at their disposal and the limitless testing they did - in 2001 they ran a whole shadow season - there was no doubt that the team as a whole should have done so much better.

Given the potential power of Toyota, rival teams still feared they would be at the front of the grid in just a few years' time, and the 2003 season saw that threat begin to materialise.

Both Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta put in some impressive performances, although there were more disappointments than celebrations.

Yet that improvement was reversed in 2004. Panis and da Matta failed to inspire while the team was left to rue the boast of boss Tsutomu Tomita that they would score points at every race. In all, a paltry nine were forthcoming - even Jaguar scored more.

Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher replaced Panis and da Matta for the 2005 campaign which finally saw a few dividends from Toyota's hard work and financial.

The year couldn't have started better with Trulli grabbing three podiums in the opening four races. And although their first race victory remained elusive, the Cologne outfit claimed further top-three results courtesy of Ralf, which helped elevate them to fourth in the constructors' battle.

Having had a taste of the podium champagne, Toyota were keen to move forward in 2006 where once again, Schumacher and Trulli were behind the wheels of the Cologne-based team's cars. But it didn't happen.

The team got off to a bad start at the opening race in Bahrain, where Ralf and Trulli struggled for pace, eventually finishing a dismal 14th and 16th places respectively.

Ralf, though, gave them some hope when he claimed eighth place and third place at the following two races in Malaysia and Australia. However, the German's podium finish in Oz was to be Toyota's first and last top-three result of the season.

The team's disappointing start to the season led to internal strife within the team that eventually resulted in technical director Mike Gascoyne packing his bags and leaving in April.

Toyota's results did, however, improve around the mid-season mark, at least in qualifying. In races, though, they were besieged by technical and mechanical problems.