It's that time of the year again, as the Formula One season winds to a close and drivers line up for new contracts. After Ralf Schumacher's departure from the over-funded but under-achieving Toyota F1 team, Felipe Massa was rumored to be heading over while Fernando Alonso assumed his seat at Ferrari. With Alonso now headed back to Renault for next season and Massa likely to stay where he is, Toyota have reportedly signed Timo Glock (right) for next season to race alongside incumbent Jarno Truli.Glock has floated in and out of F1 for the past few years. After working his way up the ranks and named Rookie of the Year in the Formula 3 Euroseries, Glock moved in to a race seat with Jordan F1 in 2004, scoring his first point in his first race (due to a technicality) at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2004. He then moved across the ocean to Champ Cars, and in his second race at the Montreal circuit scored a second place finish in his first season and was again named Rookie of the Year. Last year he moved to GP2, and took the title this year while simultaneously serving as a test driver for BMW Sauber, but was passed over for the race seat after Robert Kubica's crash... also at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Despite his experience, Glock is evidently still considered a rookie, which means Toyota can get away with paying him "only" $2 million a year in comparison to Ralf Schumacher's purported $19 million annual contract. Glock and Toyota are expected to officially sign after this season's closer in Brazil. Just don't be surprised if his new employers use Timo to promote their new JDM coincidentally-named cellphone, the Timo.
[Source: F1i.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tankd0g @ Oct 12th 2007 10:16AM
Inevidtable really. Still waiting for them to give that embarassment up and get back into WRC!
hashiryu @ Oct 12th 2007 2:00PM
I'd rather achieve in F1 what they have achieved in WRC.
WRC is just not what it used to be...then again, neither is F1 *sigh*
davet @ Oct 12th 2007 5:09PM
Rallying hasn't been what it used to be since they dropped Group B.
Mike @ Oct 12th 2007 10:30AM
Ralf has been the biggest disappointment in F1 this season...we all saw it coming. He underperformed the entire year.
speedball3 @ Oct 12th 2007 11:22AM
Yeah, I'd be bummed too if I had to get paid only $2 million dollars to drive the world's fastest cars around world-famous circuits.
oh wait...
samir.bhatia @ Oct 12th 2007 11:50AM
I really liked Timo from his time in Champ Car. Congrats!
Richard @ Oct 12th 2007 11:56AM
None of this - including the Alonso rumor - is for real - IMHO - until it is reported by Autosport.com
and it hasn't been...yet
frondeur @ Oct 12th 2007 2:49PM
Why would Toyota hire a rookie?
What Toyota needs is an experienced driver, like Barrichello to help them develop the embarrassment they have now, into something that can realistically win races.
With all their money they can easily afford to build a competitive car, but without a skilled and experienced driver to help them work out the kinks they will never progress beyond the middle of the pack.
davet @ Oct 12th 2007 5:20PM
Trulli and Schumacher are both experienced drivers who could get the occasional win given a competitive ride, as both have shown, especially Trulli. Both are better than Wurz, who helped develop McLarens and Renaults (Benetton) as a test driver, or Badoer, helping out Ferrari. Right now Toyota are sliding backwards (to the extent that's possible) and trailing Red Bull, a team they probably outspend by at least $150M, in the standings. At some point you have to step back, not blame your drivers, admit you just plain suck, and start over.
TuuSaR @ Oct 12th 2007 5:25PM
Toyota problem is not driver related, its the Japanese organization culture.
Right from the start they had Salo to tell them exactly what needs to be done. It was too much for them, loosing face and such for having inadequate car.
V.S. @ Oct 14th 2007 4:50PM
I see problems brewing at Toyota & Honda in the very near future. GM/Ford/Chrylser have frozen their wages for 4 years with limited COLA increases being diverted to cover medical benefits........Will Toyota & Honda tell their employees that their wages are frozen also? Should be interesting since they have record profits and now want to freeze wages??? GM stock to hit $55 to $58 by the end of the year since Merrill Lynch up-graded to "buy" while Toyota is going south, including market share......