Ralf Takes A Dig At Williams

[Mike_Wooshy]

well here is the story : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/4157625.stm

to be honest i dont think ralf has a chance of winning any championships thats just my veiw on the matter. Yer he has his good races but most of the time bad races.

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm,

Can't really see that as a "dig". More a statement of fact. He's not saying he will be WDC just that he sees Toyota as a better chance of doing so.

Have to admit, on recent form I don't see Toyota competing with Team Willy but we'll see. As to Ralf's overall abilities, both him and JPM disappointed so it'll be interesting to see how he does this year.

[Gt_R]

Toyota just lack in terms of experience and depth of the team. What Ralf said is not a dig..but rather that he believes Williams is not as resourceful as Toyota to make it to the top in the modern era of rich manufacturer backed teams.

Ralf and Jarno have to really hope for Toyota to produce a heck of a good car to let them have a chance of competing against more talented competition (ie Michael/Kimi)... and with Toyota increasingly attracting better people into their teams, they are a real threat in the longer future.

[BootsOntheSide]

Hopefully the era of the sport beign dominated by manufacturers with bottomless pockets won't go on for too long. Toytoa are probably the worst example of a company which will stop at nothing to succeed, and I don't think it's healthy for F1. In other championships they've cheated, lied and plotted their way to either success or withdrawal.

2005 could be the beginning of a very strong Toyota era, with a much-better car guaranteed and their best driving line-up yet. They made a lot of tactical errors, particularly in terms of running light, last season, and will need to think more practically in future. Williams are in a transitional phase, but they had one in the late 90s and didn't rebuild into a truly winning force, so who's to say they can next time?

[agwiii]

The era in which F1 racing was not dominated by money ended long ago. Some of the SCCA classes are supported by the amateur racer, but even there, money is making headway.

[avsfan733]

Originally Posted by Gt_R

but rather that he believes Williams is not as resourceful as Toyota to make it to the top in the modern era of rich manufacturer backed teams.

using unlimited resources resources and being resourceful are two distinctly different things in my book one is quite noble the other is less so but much more likely to work

[Skam85]

Look at last year for example. Sauber scored a lot more points than Toyota, with a SUBSTANTIALLY smaller budget. It [I]can be done. They just need to know what they are doing with their money, rather than throwing it around willy-nilly, Jaguar and BAR style.

[N I Tram]

Toyota are still in the building phase though - I suspect they've spent a lot less over their whole time in F1 than Sauber have. It's getting harder and harder for private teams to make an impresion - the statistic that Jordan are still spending as much as they did to fight for the 1999 title is quite indicative of how much the financial significance has gone up, and I don'#t think it's healthy in the long term, especially with Toyota's record elsewhere.

[GTRMagic]

And if the car doesnt win by midseason, Mike Gascoyne, and any innovations (and people) he brought to the team, will be on gardening leave....

[Spritle]

The real question is whether the Toyota/Honda war will ultimately result in Toyota being a success in F1.

With the recent announcement of BAT & Honda buying BAR, (BARH), that makes Honda in for the long haul. Given their rivalry and Toyota's desire to one up Honda whenever possible I see an interesting battle brewing. I also think that BMW will give up on Williams long before either Honda or Toyota will give up on F1. Without the BMW power, Williams is nothing.

[agwiii]

Using unlimited resources means the ability and willingness to spend the money. Being resourceful means able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations. I do not see either as possessing noble qualities. I do see both as coming from the comercialization of Formula One. In order to win, one must be able and willing to spend the necessary money (all resources are finite) and be resourceful.

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

And if the car doesnt win by midseason, Mike Gascoyne, and any innovations (and people) he brought to the team, will be on gardening leave....

I agree. Honda and Toyota are not in F1 to lose face, they are in it to win races.

[Super Tourer]

it's a make or break year for Toyota - as they say themselves there are no more excuses they have to achieve results, they need a podium this year, they need to justify the huge investment to continue it.

I don't see Toyota as in it for the long haul, I see a company that has thrown money at F1, probably expected to be challenging by now and certainly didn't expect to be effectively last in the WCC in 2004. I think the directors will give MG and his team a couple of years (05/06) and if they are not contenders by then the board will draw a line under it.

As a parallel, despite it's huge investment Toyota didn't win Le Mans, it's best result was 2nd and you have to say the overall competition was nothing like F1, it only had two other substantial factory teams to beat, in F1 it finds itself up against six specalist constructors/engine builders. Yet Toyota didn't stay to finish the job at LM, they went onto the next one - F1...

As for Ralf's comments, surely these are just new team racing driver speak - of course (publically) he will say his best opportunity is at Toyota, otherwise why would he have moved?

It's 'big it up' time of the year, by mid-season we will have a clearer picture of the wisdom of the driver moves.

[Rennen]

Nah! thats not really a 'dig'...By rights Toyota should be 'taking everyones pants down!' but they ain't!...I think the teams based in the wrong country!...their employment laws are a hinderance by all accounts!

[Kicking-back]

Huge budget notwithstanding, Toyota is still "young" in terms of an F1 team.

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Huge budget notwithstanding, Toyota is still "young" in terms of an F1 team.

The Japanese culture does not have a provision for withdrawal or graceful defeat. Some of the questions that come to mind include locating in Germany. However, the most pressing question is have they formed a team, with all of its synergy, or do they simply have an organization. I think we will know by the 6th race of the season.

[Super Tourer]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Huge budget notwithstanding, Toyota is still "young" in terms of an F1 team.

It's is, including it's testing year, 2005 will be it's 5th - other less funded teams (Stewart for example) have achieved more in less time.

However it has sought to accelerate the process by expensively hiring people who should be able to fast track some results, which is why 2005 is going to be so interesting.

[Gt_R]

Indeed...and there is little to deny that Toyota 2005 on paper has a much stronger team than Toyota 2004... they have made some improvements in the technical/drivers/etc department.