It was almost quarter of a century ago when Toyota embarked upon its first dalliance with Formula 1. And, for all the capital spent in the prelude to its 2002 debut – a never-raced V12 engine, mothballed when F1 switched exclusively to V10s, and a full year spent shadowing the F1 calendar with an overweight test mule – the Japanese manufacturer never found a foothold in the championship.
Commercial bluster, underpinned by the billions spent, did not echo reality and its potential was obscured by excess internal bureaucracy and persistent tinkering with its managerial structure. Toyota’s F1 tenure lasted just eight seasons, before retreating to its roots of sportscars and rallying.Â
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– The Autosport.com Team