Holy Toe-Chester Batman!

In what seems to have become a yearly tradition… Look for more pomp ‘N circumstance at this year’s British Grand Prix… Which in year’s past has seen the Jaguar team run with Terminator T3 livery, Diamond encrusted racing cars… With supposedly hurkin’ HUGE jewel’s being mysteriously lost in silly Ocean’s 29 movie tie-in’s… While trying to upstage the throng ‘O Star Wars Storm Troopers in the Principality, While now we’ll have to watch out for grappling hooks, jet powered cars and men running about in spandex tights and coloured capes… (Careful! NO Sir Maxxum jokes here, eh?) As Gotham City, nee Silverstone is set to cast that mythical spotlight in the sky crying’ for the legendary Caped Crusaders help… As The Penguin, a.k.a. Emperor Bernardo and his whipping boy Sir Maxxum are on the prowl in BLOODY Towcester…

As AZ Bureau Chief Mary Jane has just forwarded the following story about Batman hookin’ up with Toyota this weekend to (Over-hype) promote the upcoming British release of the newest Batman flick; The Dark Night.

HMM? Do I dare ponder whose Batman and who’s the Boy Wanderer at Toyota?

Toyota’s melting pot?

According to published reports, RASSCAR’s current BAD BOY Kyle “Shrub” Busch has announced that he will test a Toyota F1 racing car in Japan later this year and would like to potentially race in Formula 1 before he’s 30.

Busch who’s currently 23yr’s old, drives the M & M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing and is known to prefer the regular black M ‘N M’s, although he also enjoys the NUTS type too…

But inquiring minds want to know if his hands will slip off of the steering wheel, even though the candy manufacturer claims that they melt in your mouth, NOT in your hands!

Toyota TF108

While the top brass in Tokyo are applying pressure to their Colone brethren, Toyota was also busy unveiling this year’s Formula 1 challenger, the TF108, with all of the customary sound bites about making a large step forward, desiring to score race wins and ultimately garner World Championships. “Oh, what a feeling!”

Novel Idea

So how just does “Juan” go about motivating its employees? If you’re the Japanese giant, a.k.a. Toyota, the world’s Number One automobile manufacturer, it’s simple. You give your charges a mandate. (Ship out or Shape Up!) Which is exactly what the companies mucky-mucks in Tokyo have done to the companies Colone based Formula 1 squad, telling Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina He’s got until 2010 to turn around the fortunes of the struggling F1 team…

Glock to race for Toyota

Although SPEED’s Peter Windsor had previously announced that 2007 GP2 Champion Timo Glock would be replacing Ralf Schumacher at Toyota, the move had been delayed do to contractual wrangling. With BMW Sauber and Toyota playing “Tug ‘O War” over the young German’s services.

Thus the matter was being reviewed by the Contract Recognition Board, which has ruled that Glock is free to race for Toyota, although BMW Sauber believed they held a contract for Glock to remain as their test driver next season.

Yet BMW Sauber Team Principle Dr. Mario Theisen has announced that Glock is now free to go to Toyota, whom have officially confirmed Glock as “Ralfanso’s” replacement for 2008.

This leads one to speculate that either a new contract was negotiated or a sizeable amount of Deutschmarks transferred hands,

Meanwhile Toyota is seeking glock’s release from BMW Sauber “Just-in-Time” to participate at the upcoming Jerez winter test…

Kobayashi joins Toyota

While reigning GP2 champion Timo Glock was being confirmed as Ralf Schumacher’s replacement at Toyota F1, the Colone based team has also announced Kamui Kobayashi as its test driver for 2008.

The 21 year old Japanese driver has been linked to Toyota since 2001, being another member of Toyota’s young driver program. Kobayashi won the Formula Renault Italian and Eurocup titles in 2005 before graduating to Formula 3, where he partnered Giedo van der Garde and Sebastian Vettel. Kobayashi finished fourth in 2007 with one victory to his credit.

With Glock and Kobayashi joining Jarno Trulli, who has previously signed a one year contract, this leaves only four Constructor’s with unfilled driver line-ups. As McLaren, Renault, Force India and Super Aguri have yet to announce their drivers for next year.

And in a bit of further good tidings, its just been announced that Kobayashi has been signed to drive for the DAMS GP2 team in 2008, replacing fellow countryman Kazuki Nakajima…

Ralfanso leaving Toyota

Ralf Schumacher has announced on his personal website that he’ll be leaving the Toyota Formula 1 team at the end of the season.

This doesn’t seem too shocking given Ralfie’s turbulent career and continuous struggles with the Colone based team. As SPEED’s David Hobbs has been harping about the entire year plus, Ralfanso has been totally out performed and out qualified by Jarno Trulli, who’s salary is far less than Schumacher’s.

So who will fill the void? As there’s been rampant speculation about Ferrari’s Felipe Massa being sent packing to Toyota, along with this year’s GP2 Champion timo Glock. Yet it would be very refreshing to see Toyota sign Adrian Sutil instead…

Toyota’s Klien sheet?

And it never fails. As soon as you push the “Publish” button, you find yourself finding new tidbits of speculation suggesting you’ve gotten your story all wrong!

Which of course could be the case if the rumours of Christian Klien moving to Toyota F1 for 2008 are correct. And it’ll be interesting to see if Ralfanso is dumped prior to the French GP? As this would give France one last gasp of having a “Home Boy” compete in their home Grand Prix…

Toyota becomes Number 1 (Off Track)

With first quarter sales numbers in, Toyota Motor Corp. has finally vaulted past General Motors as the Number One producer of automobiles.

Meanwhile in Colone, Toyota’s beleaguered F1 operation has announced that current Formula 1 team boss Tsutomu Tomita will step down in June and return to Japan for new duties…

Ralfanso’s Fun Factory

Apparently Ralf Schumacher is none too impressed with the current Toyota TF 107. Schumacher has reportedly complained about the squad’s lack of pace shown so far this winter and doesn’t expect too much to happen in the season’s opening races.

And I just had to laugh upon reading “Ralfanso’s” latest comments claiming he’s one of the Top Three Drivers in Formula 1.

C’MON “Ralfie,” put down the Snaap’s … And you’d better lay off the Bit burger’s too for a little while, since I’m fairly certain that the majority of your fellow competitors would disagree…

I’m expecting “Top 3 Ralfanso” to continue playing tail gunner “Charlie” in the upcoming Melbourne race and will not be surprised to see him banging wheels at the rear of the grid with Mark Webber & Co.

Toyota TF107

Drum roll please…. “Let the Car Launches begin!” Toyota unveiled its 2007 challenger, the TF107 yesterday in Colone…

Toyota gunning for GM

Although there has been speculation that the Toyota Motor Corp. was poised to overtake General Motors for most sales the past few years, Toyota appears to be set to finally accomplish this task in 2007…

Toyota is set to supplant GM as the world’s number one Automaker with production of 9.3-9.4 million units this year while GM hovers around its past 2yr’s production level of 9.1-9.2 million units…

This would make Toyota the very first non-American manufacturer to do so, as GM has held this honor for 75 years since surpassing the Ford Motor Co. back in 1932…

Toyota seeks further media exposure this season as its key racing programs will spotlight the world’s two largest series: Formula 1 and “RASSCAR” as Toyota makes its Nextel Cup debut with their No. 1 selling Camry…

San Paulo Surprise

Talk about “Baptism under Fire.” A few of the Toyota F1 team recently learned the phrase “Up Close and Personal…”