Toyota Driver Line Up & Fisi

[HForce]

For life of me I do not understand why Toyota continue with Oliver Panis.

Panis doesn’t even offer any nationality appeal, like a South American or an Asian driver would. Panis does not have a large fan base, even in France he’s not that popular. Panis is not going sell you your cars!

Toyota have serious ambitions of competing for the World Championship, and have made steady progress in there two years off competing.
There was NO point of replacing Salo with Panis, they’re about the same age, and if anything Salo I would say is faster & more appealing to sponsors.

De Matta has a degree of promise; he’s also Brazilian that would be appealing to Toyota. Yes Panis out qualified him, but he is slightly younger & has potential.

If Toyota make another step forward in 2004 I really think there be looking for a big signing for 2005. Ralf? Alonso? But I fear they would end up with DC another mid 30s driver who has missed his opportunity.

I believe Toyota should off got hold of Fisi & made the commitment & said right he’s the one who’s going to win us the Championship no matter what. Just like McLaren done with Mika & Ferrari to a lesser degree done with MS. Fisi is an exploded bomb, what a waste watching driving a Suaber, who are only going to be just a head of Jordan & Minardi next year.

That’s going to be even more painful to watch a great talent (Fisi) driving a Suaber when the following teams have got it so wrong.

Bar Sato will not come to anything, his one season with Jordan proved he wasn’t up to it. But he’s Japanese!
Toyota Panis for the above reasons
Jag Who ever fills the second seat won’t be as good as Fisi period.
Renault Jarno LOL
McLaren DC how many chances does this Muppet need!

[Super Tourer]

Don't underestimate Toyota's thinking, they are on a plan I'm sure, and they are not yet ready to pick ,what I'm sure will be, an all star line up.

2004 is about progress. 2005 is the first year that Mike Gasgoine will have full input into the design from day one - then I'm sure we will see a more firey line up.

Da Matta did well in his rookie year, Panis probably only has one more year left in F1 anyway, so they may as well have continuity, sometihng they have learnt from their first year, I'm sure.

[HForce]

I agree Mike Gasgoine is going to make Toyota into winners, Jordan & Renault wins are on his CV.

But will De Matta be a F1 champion?
Panis certainly won’t.

Mike will design a car good enough to win a championship.

Toyota will make an engine good enough to win them a championship

Who’s going to drive them to a championship?

[climb]

HForce, you have a point about Fisi; about other things you say, well, it's very interesting but your analisys can be discussed.

[HForce]

Climb Analisys what do you mean?

[Super Tourer]

I guess Toyota will look around the drivers market at the end of 2004 and make their choice.

Bit of a make or break year for Fizzi - Massa is fast and will have developed at Ferrari. If Fizzi can make him look ordinary, his stock should rise.

I think Sauber will be a fair way ahead of Minardi and Jordan, with a Ferrai engine, gearbox and other input, plus a bigger budget and a car designed in their own windtunnel. In anycase I don't think he had any other options, so he has to make the most of the Sauber drive anyway.

[HForce]

He didn't have to sign a two deal with Sauber!

Yeah he may not of had any choice but I cannot believe how some teams with future Championship ambitions over look him.

[BootsOntheSide]

Why would Toyota be worried about driver nationality for the sake of bringing in sponsors? They're willing to spend almost any amount in order to get success.

I think Panis is a better driver than Salo, although I agree that he's not the greatest out there. Most of the best drivers wouldn't be keen to join a team that won't be regularly challenging for wins until 2005 or titles by 2007, and those are extreme predictions.

As the 2004 car will be largely Gascoyne-less, 2004 will be something of a wasted year for them anyway, although they'll be keen to show the potential to tempt a real topline driver to join - maybe Ralf if the Williams negotiations break down.

Fisichella wouldn't be the man to lead them to the title. By 2005 he'll be into his 30s,a dn he's had opportunities without scoring regular wins. He looks pbadly-motivated this year, and who's to say he'd be any happier if he had a fast but unreliable 2005 Toyota?

[BertMk2]

Panis was also highly regarded by McLaren for his testing and car development abilities - in their current state this is a positive for Toyota - especially as they have an inexperienced driver in the other car.

As mentioned above Panis doesn't have all that long left - but with Mike Gascoyne there and Panis' development/testing ability they should be able to make a step forward before signing someone to have a real shot at the title in a couple of years.

[Attila]

I heard that Panis is one of the best testdrivers out there. Maybe they think that their 2004 car will not be ready for the big3-4? challenge and therefore it would be a waste of money to invest into a superstar driver.

In 2005 they will be signing at least one proven racewinner and I bet it will not be Fisi. In my opinion he missed the boat, took the wrong choices and will never get his breathrough. Its not fair, but that is life in F1.

In my opinion Toyota will try to sign Ralf for 2005, because he is as fast as anybody (on his days) and get a young gun to partner him (maybe Brisco if he proves good in testing). Brisco will be the ultimate Toyota driver, educated by Toyota for Toyota. He seems quick enough so far, but we will see. So I am sure they will have a proven racewinner and a new talent. At least that is what I would do.

Cheers,

[HForce]

BootOntheside you silly billy of course driver nationality is important to Toyota. Yeah OK they don’t need to appeal to sponsors like other teams.
But Toyota want to sell to cars, why else would they be in F1.

Fisichella is every bit as fast as he was. De-motivated? His performances in a very poor Jordan didn’t show that.

Who would you rather have driving for you Jurno Trulli or Fisichella , DC or Fisichella , Panis or Fisichella , Sato or Fisichella

[Bononi]

HForce, amazing post. You have managed in just one post to shake some fans here...

I just hope Inigo doesn't join your boat about Fisi, otherwise he would be saying "Flame bait !"

[HForce]

Test driving is one thing!

Winning a Championship is another!

Mika Hakkinen was not the best test driver or development driver – but he had the winning edge about him – I see the same edge in Fisichella

[Attila]

HForce of course the answer is Fisi, but who would I choose between Ralf and Fisi or a young 22 year old kid and Fisi? I would take Ralf and the young kid.

I know that Fisi beat Ralf when they were teammates but not by much. So for me he is the fastest awailable proven racewinner out there.

Of course this is just a personal opinion :-)

[HForce]

Test Drivers should just test! i.e. McNish!

[TGP]

I think Fisi would have been a better choice than Panis. Panis has never really shown the raw talent that Fisi has. Fisi has always been in the wrong team at the wrong time. A 2 year+ deal with Toyota would have given him his most realistic shot at the Championship, as Toyota go from strength to strength. Where are Sauber going?

[Super Tourer]

It's easy to be emotive about drivers, but who know's how Fizzi would have done/will do in a top team.

Would he flourish in the cold atmosphere of William's (for example) or take the pressure of an Italian driving for Ferrari?

How do we know Fizzi would do better than Panis for the job Toyota require? Why was Panis hired? Because his testing ablity is well regarded, he's worked on the inside of a top 3 team, knows how they approach things, knows their methods.

Toyota are still in team build mode, still collecting data, still analysing - for this they need an analytical driver.

This is very much the William's approach. Sir FW worked out a long time ago, that as long as the car was right and all the effort was diverted into that, it didn't matter all that much who was driving, within reason.

Maybe Fizzi will drive the wheels off the Sauber and show us what team bosses have been missing, in which case 2004 is a great opportunity for him compared to driving for EJ or doing nothing.

Back to topic. IMO 2004 isn't relevant for Toyota as far as drivers are concerned, their effort will go into engineering and integrating Gascoyne's methods and ideas into their thinking for 2005.

Then drivers will be very relevant, as Toyota will present more of a challenge to the top four teams, and they will have plenty to choose from, by the look of it.

[HForce]

Super Tourer if Toyota employed Panis purely for his testing abilities they should off employed him as a test driver and hired a racing driver for the racing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Super Tourer]

I can't see that Panis is a bad choice for the workmanlike job they need, they know where they are technically in relation to the other teams.

Toyota are in F1 for wins, they're not the least bit interested in 5th and 6th places - good for team moral but not compared to their objectives. Realistically, they know they are capable of minor point placings, until they build a package to challenge the top 3/4.

They can compete for minor points with the drivers they have, when they have a car capable of taking on Kimi/JPM/Alonso, etc I am sure they will have the drivers to match.

Incidentally, Gascoyne is a big fan of Zonta, so don't rule him out for a race seat for 2005!

[HForce]

Saying Toyota are right to give Panis a drive because a he’s a good test/development driver with that reasoning Renault who are a developing team should of raced McNish instead of Alonso!

[Super Tourer]

Why, Renault proves my point well.

Don't forget Renault bought an established team with an infrastructure, back in early 2000. 2001 was officialy their re-emergence as a Renault F1 team, which gave them 2000/2001/2002 to re-build. For 2003 they were going to be more of a challenger and had the driver line as appropriate.

Renault's 2003, will be the equivalent to Toyota's 2005 - then I'm sure you will see a different tact and set up at Toyota.

[BSchneiderFan]

Da Matta and Briscoe or Dixon for 2005, I suspect.

[HForce]

Super Tourer how does Renault prove your point, when it clearly proves mind Renualt/Benetton always raced talent over someone with testing ability. Fisi/Button, Button/Trulli (Jarno does have talent even though he doesn’t know how to use it) Trulli/Alonso.

Renault has always had a young charger in there team. They always had the plan to race Alonso - the future.

Ask yourself come a race weekend do you want a driver to tell you how bad the car is, or a driver who’ll just get on with the job at hand, which is to go as fast as they dare to go!

Panis now is nothing more than a test driver. He can do all the donkey work behind the scenes!

There’s only 20 seats in F1 Toyota are wasting one.

[Kicking-back]

Fisichella is the most overrated driver in F1.

He's never done anything to justify a decent drive.

[HForce]

He’s out qualified & raced every Teammate he’s had in F1.

Overrated?

Not as much as DC, Soft touch Rubens or Ralf!