Toyota
| |
| Full Name | Panasonic Toyota Racing |
| Base | Cologne, Germany |
| Founder(s) |  Toyota Motorsport
|
| Team Principal(s) |  Ove Andersson
|
| Technical Director |  Gustav Brunner
|
Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002.
Toyota competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2009. Its assets were bought out by Stefan for the 2010 season.
Toyota returned to Formula One in 2020 after a ten year absence.
Formula One
2002
Toyota began their Formula One journey in 2002, entering the series with Australian John Zimmer and British driver Allan McNish. It seemed like Toyota had hit the ground running, with Zimmer taking consecutive points finishes in the second and third races of the season, but this run did not continue - with Zimmer only managing one more points score all year and McNish failing to register at all. This was all despite Toyota reportedly having one of the largest budgets on the grid - but at least they were able to beat Minardi, Jaguar and Prost in the Constructor standings.
2003
Toyota decided to open their war chest a little in 2003, jettisoning McNish and Zimmer in favour of highly-rated Brits Jenson Button and Jack Christopherson. The increased investment in driver personnel was vindicated early, with Button taking Toyota's first podium with 3rd in the third race of the season at Imola. Christopherson doubled up the podiums with another third in the Monaco Grand Prix. Toyota's strong and consistent season saw them finish in fifth place and "best of the rest" in the Constructors.
2004
Both Button and Christopherson remained in 2004 - with Toyota joining the rest of the FOTA teams in boycotting races in the European Union due to the European Arrest Warrant conflict. Button took another third place this season - this time at the Malaysian Grand Prix - while Toyota consolidated their fifth place from the year before in the much shortened season. Toyota were caught in some controversy at the Canadian Grand Prix, when both cars were disqualified following the race due to illegal brake ducts along with Williams.
2005
Toyota were forced to recruit new drivers in 2005, with Button heading to Williams and Christopherson opting to retire from Formula One - having raced in the series since 1989. In their place would be 2001 World Champion Ralf Schumacher and former Renault and Jaguar man Mark Webber. Schumacher beat Toyota's best result in the opening race of the season, finishing second in the Australian Grand Prix - which he'd then follow up by taking Toyota's first win when he took the flag in Malaysia. Schumacher and Webber would take a number of podiums throughout the year in what would be seen as a very successful season for the team - in which they finished in fourth place, beating Williams for the first time. Schumacher was indirectly involved in one of Formula One's most controversial races of all time when he injured himself in Practice for the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. A tyre failure sent him into the wall at high speed, which meant he would withdraw from the race. All other Michelin-shod teams opted to withdraw from the race as well, leaving only the Bridgestone teams of Ferrari and Jordan to start.
2020
Toyota returned to Formula One in 2020 after a ten year absence, with outspoken multiple time World Champion James James Davies being joined by Kazuki Nakajima.
