The worried speculation surrounding Toyota's commitment to F1 next year is likely to increase after team boss Tadashi Yamashina admitted that the team may still consider withdrawing from the sport at the end of this current season.
Toyota's future in the sport has been up for debate for some time, after the parent motor company racked up huge losses in the global financial 'mess' and their chief rivals Honda pulled out at the end of the 2008 season. The team was apparently tasked with winning a race in 2009 in order to guarantee it's future in the sport, something which it has palpably failed to do.
Earlier in the season, Toyota bosses said that the budget for next year's F1 assault would not be confirmed until a financial board meeting in November, adding further fuel to the fire marked "Bye, Toyota!".
Furthermore, the company was forced to pull it's Fuji Speedway track out of a deal to share the hosting of the Japanese leg of the world championship with Suzuka in an attempt to cut costs.
And now, Yamashina has claimed that the team could still be in trouble, particularly over the cost of the sport. A statement which seems ludicrously odd given the vast amount of money the company has ploughed into their F1 operations since it entered the sport in 2002, to say nothing of their decision to stand with FOTA in shouting down the FIA's budget cap idea.
"We need to turn it into an F1 where you don't need so much money," Yamashina admitted to a press conference in Tokyo, during the build-up to Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
He added that: "We'll have to consider various issues while bearing in mind our ties with the main company."
The team has signed up to the new-for-2010 Concorde Agreement, which indicates that there is some interest in continuing in the sport, but with the team having to wait until mid-November before being able to know their 2010 budget, the situation may well be taken out of their hands.
Earlier this week it was revealed that the team has refused to take up their option for next year on driver Timo Glock, and the team has yet to sign up any drivers for 2010, with Jarno Trulli's future with the team also uncertain.
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