Toyota has made an offer and it kooks like Kimi might acdept it. Its reported that the offer was $30m a year Kimi could do what Schumi did to Ferrari. A new team and a new leader.

Everyone is saying McLaren and Ferrari are going to be the top teams, but that is rubbish. I think Toyota, Renault and Red Bull would be the teams.

So if Webber is not looking to move then it looks like Toyota for Kimi and and he would lead the team with Kobayashi

Discuss the topic not the poster!

Its a legitimate topic http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79631

John Howlett's comments to the BBC during the extended qualifying session were quite interesting.

He said that they were interested in Kimi but his management wanted too much cash.

Really interesting that Howlett would make such a statement in public.

Could be part of the move to push driver salaries down, as detailed by James Allen here...

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/10/trul...-on-driver-pay/

Don't do it Kimi, don't become another JV sailing around in midfield Japanese cars for no apparent reason

Toyota probably made an approach when it was announced Kimi was leaving Ferrari to which Kimi's team probably responded "I want a gadzillion dollars" knowing pretty well its not going to happen. I still think Kimi has a firm offer, if not a signed contract, with McLaren.

An agreement would be met. The key thing is that Kimi's team made a proposal and this shows they are atleast interested in Toyota unlike Renult which was publicly rebuffed.

Yeah, the Toyota line was out at the weekend.

Exactly.

Toyota have wanted Kimi for a long time. After being rejected by Kubica it will make them even more determined to sign Kimi.
If they agree to giving Kimi the freedom he wants as in rally driving and anything else he would like then it would be a good option for Kimi.

Sorry but nothing has been signed with McLaren. But yes i agree McLaren have made the offer but Kimi does not want it. If he wanted to really go to McLaren he would have singed with them right away. His mind says no, its Red bull he really wants, this is the truth but damn that Webber last week for winning!

So even if kimi signs with McLaren its gonna be a one year contract with an option to extend.

How do you know?

Why would he do that?

By shopping around other teams his market value goes up.

He'll be able to test just how badly McLaren want him and how much they're willing to pay.

JV didn't. Don't blame Honda, he formed his own team for that purpose.

Kimi wouldn't have to shave his head at Toyota.

If Kimi goes to Toyota it shows he is only motivated by money, he said recently he would only stay in F1 for a winning car and Toyota isn't that

"I don´t want to go to a new team or a team that has been around for many years without winning anything" - Kimi

Doesn´t sound like Toyota is likely option for him, really

Raikkonen to Toyota may make sense if pitched right. They're like Ferrari in 1995: they've got potential, but they've been let down but a driver lineup that simply can't deliver. Who have Toyota run in the past? McNish, da Matta, Panis, Schumacher, Trulli and Glock. How many of them could reasonably be descirbed as star drivers in the vein of Raikkonen? If he is as good as many people around here imply he is, he should have no trouble winning in a Toyota.

How do you know the car couldn't win in the hands of another driver?

Toyota isn't a winning car due to stupid strategy at Bahrain, front row Spa, strong qualifying in Brazil, two second places in Singapore and Suzuka. Podiums in Malaysia and Australia. It is not a bad car, it should have won at least one race.

FA is also a great driver, just like KR. Now, how many did he win this year? Remember this is the team he was involved with since the beginning. It is the team, the car and the whole gamut of parameters that result in a win. Toyota has none of these, at the moment.

Seconded, yet in case if ... Kobayashi drove the car fast in Brazil, I am sure he is NOT a Senna. So How could a young unexperienced driver drive an undrivable car at that level? I guess I am WRONG to think that Toyota has a bad car, it just that the team is seriously underperforming. I am sure Kimi can unlock the potential.

The question is if he wants to do it.

McLaren are never gonna want a driver so much to pay him more than Lewis. Anyway, its a 2 way thing, neither need each other badly. Thats a fact! Its big teams like Toyota that need a a star racer badly and Kimi is the only star race not on contract. My feeling is that Toyota want to really give it one big push and get a geat car and driver. Honda/Brawn must have inspired them. Kimi would be stupid not to take this chance. What has he got to lose? He was never gonna be given a fair chance in McLaren so why not lead a new the team and win it for Toyota? Going back to McLaren would only show he is not up for challenges. Toyota would mean he is looking for a fresh challenge and something new.

toyota have gone nowhere in ten years with all the money in the world, kimi is not a driver to pull a team forward, it's not a good combination to put a driver that needs to be carried into a team with no idea where it's going.

Toyota has had more success this year than Renault. That's why they're ahead in the constructors' standings.

They have not won a race since they entered F1, precious little evidence they will unless its a freak Spa 98 type race, Raikkonen only ever shows his true form when he is winning, goes to sleep if he is fighting for minor points, he is not the man to push them up the grid

This has been said too many times. After ten years I am losing my patience to this team. I assume this is take or leave it year for Toyota.


Even a Japanese woman can leave a man if he has no talent on anything.

There is plenty of evidence of the potential in the Toyota, and I think in the right hands that potential could be unleashed. Is KR the right person? I don't know, but I would bet on him rather than Trulli anyday.

Why do you think that?

Toyota looks like a team with no Techincal Leadership. rather it is a team that is commercially well headed team.

After Toyota sent Gazza away, I assume lot has been done, but by looking at the car profile of This Year's Toyota resembling to the one of RBR 5, I assume the team needs very imaginative design guru once again to get themselvess back on top...

No, Kobayashi wasn't that fast. He defended well, maybe a bit too aggressively even, but he lost some serious time to the car in front and never looked as fast as Trulli. He went backwards in the race. But, he did better than Algersuari and Grosjean.

Come on, boys, don´t try to justify this supposed move from Kimi to Toyota. If it becomes a reality, it would be a step down for the iceman.

Toyota would be great but, like I just wrote in a different thread, I think my boy's crazy enough to rather quit than take what they're offering. Just because.

Actually I am suprised that Kobayashi got away with what he did to Nakajima,... Or was it like LEAVE IT>>>>?

I think its all hot air. I think Howlett is offering drivers potential deals all subject to Totoyas decision on November 15th. Which will be 'bye bye F1'.

That's why he parked it in Brazil? Right....

With Kimi on board, Toyota wold at least have a very very good chance of winning Spa.

I know.... but I mean just if...

I dont think either party stands to benefit much. Toyota fail in maximising their potential pace into strategy. At Bahrain this year Kimi would have won the race in the Toyota I think.

I havnt seen anything from Kimi to suggest he has any kind of Schumacher leadership to turn the team round. If they build a really quick car and get their strategies right they can win races but I doubt titles will be possible. Toyota just dont seem capable of making a car that can challenge at every race, they are very up and down pace wise.

I don't think so..

I don't think the other Toyota guy would have told Trulli to sit tight and do nothing until Nov 15th..

I think it may well be 'bye bye F1' for Howett though.. which would make sense in several ways..

I'm not too sure Toyota was impressed with the FOTA-FIA debacle and all the rubbish that has been said.. and that's apart from the team not meeting it's objectives.

They may not be each other's first choices but Toyota, if they are to stay, will need someone to drive their cars and Kimi, if he is to stay, will need something to drive. Both are free to go for someone/something better but the problem seems to be that there really aren't that many obviously better options available right now - for either of them.

..and, ermm.. as for the topic.. where would you go if you were Kimi?

McLaren obvious 1st choice imo... that Toyota is interested then that's all good as well, that's only going to help Kimi get a bigger paycheck..

I agree, they have done well to get into podium positions this year but they havent got anyone like Newey or a good leader like Brawn or Horner to push the team into being world championship contenders. Im certainly not convinced by Howett.

Is it really necessary to have a separate thread for each theory about Kimi in 2010?
He does not discard anything, not NASCAR, not Rally, not hockey, nothing. There will be many threads and it is hopeless to catch up since many things, but not all, is posted in several threads. I know, I am not a mod, just a slim annoying bastard.

I`d like to hear just once a F1 driver say that its cool to make a lot of money.
I`d respect it if someone said that.

Toyota have never had a driver to develop a car around like say Ferrari had with Schumie or Renault had with Alonso. Maybe (real long shot) what Toyota need is a top 5 driver to build a car around.

From Turun Sanomat:
19 October 2009

Toyota's offer has not awaken Raikkonen's interest.

- "I'm only interested in continuing in F1 if I can drive in a winning team. I have no interest to go to some new team or a team that has been in F1 for a long time without winning anything", Raikkonen says.

http://www.ts.fi/f1/uutiset/82169.html

Toyota might offer to build him a Rally car.

McL can't really do that.

Kimi is streets ahead of any driver toyota have had so far, i would rate young glock as probably the best, trulli has never really cut it in F1 surprising he has had a 10 year career really, good qualifier & all that but journeyman really, same goes for ralf. Kimi in the toyota would be cool & with the tie up between toyota & fuji heavy industries a subaru rally drive would not be out of the question, should kimi want to have a go

I disagree... they need to build a good car period.

Brawn has shown this year that you don't need an Alonso or a Schumie to win titles... of course it doesn't hurt but I think that team should bother about building a dominant car instead.. that's the right approach.

You don't think that's what they have been trying to do already? IMHO that's a given, they may not get it right, but it's what every team is striving to do.

Why is Trulli outscoring Glock then?

I'm not saying Jarno would be my pick if I was to choose my dream drivers lineup, but the guy gets so much abuse it's unreal... was he really awarded a real chance in a top car?