May 9 (GMM) News fluttered around the Barcelona paddock after qualifying that
Toyota is threatening to quit formula one over the "budget cap" row with the
FIA.
It was reported from the venue of the Spanish grand prix on Saturday that
team president John Howett said that, as things are written in the newly
published regulations, the Japanese squad does not plan to lodge an entry for
the 2010 championship.
Entries for 2010, to accompany a 309,000 entry fee, close on May 29.
BMW and Ferrari have made similar noises about looking outside of F1 due to
the disagreements with Max Mosley, leading Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday to try
to calm the waters.
"Formula one is Ferrari and Ferrari is formula one," he told reporters. "It's
just a marriage made in heaven, one of those super things that work well."
Crucially, despite recent rumours, Norbert Haug is reported to have made
clear that Mercedes-Benz sees its future on the grid.
He told the Austrian daily Der Standard that even amid the economic crisis,
the marque's expenditure on F1 is "absolutely justifiable".
As a marketing medium, he said the sport is "incomparable".
"If we were to buy TV and radio spots, as well as space in the print and web
media, a similar presence would cost much more than ten times our formula one
budget," said Haug.
