Toyota in Formula One
Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to join Formula One in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002. The new team grew from Toyota's long-standing Toyota Motorsport GmbH organisation, which had previously competed in the World Rally Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite a point in their first-ever race, Toyota never won a Grand Prix, their best finish being second, which they achieved five times.
| Full name | Panasonic Toyota Racing |
|---|---|
| Base | Cologne, Germany |
| Noted staff | Tsutomu Tomita Tadashi Yamashina Ove Andersson John Howett Gustav Brunner Mike Gascoyne Pascal Vasselon |
| Noted drivers | Allan McNish Mika Salo Olivier Panis Ricardo Zonta Cristiano da Matta Jarno Trulli Ralf Schumacher Timo Glock Kamui Kobayashi |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 2002 Australian Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 140 (139 starts) |
| Engines | Toyota |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 (best finish: 4th, 2005) |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 (best finish: 6th, 2005) |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 13 |
| Points | 278.5 |
| Pole positions | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 3 |
| Final entry | 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| First entry | 2002 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 140 |
| Chassis | Toyota, Jordan, MF1, Williams |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 17 |
| Points | 384 |
| Pole positions | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
Toyota drew criticism for their lack of success, as they never managed to win a Grand Prix with one of the sport's biggest budgets along with being the world's largest car manufacturer. Toyota was a well-funded team, but despite this, strong results had never been consistent.
On 4 November 2009, Toyota announced its immediate withdrawal from Formula One, ending the team's involvement in the sport after eight consecutive seasons.