Toyota is sending Tadashi Yamashina from corporate headquarters in Japan to Cologne, where their F1 team is based. On the surface it looks like a routine, mundane management shuffle, with Toyota sending over an experienced manager to help get things moving with the Formula One team that's been a bit of a disappointment for the ever-growing industry giant. After all, Toyota's far more accustomed to runaway success than dismal failure.
By-and-large, this is, as we said, a management shuffle. Yamashina is already the head of both Toyota's Motorsports Division and Motorsport Business Management Department. So having him close to the action at the F1 base of operations makes perfect business sense.
What makes the move more interesting, however, is Yamashina's contribution to the development of Toyota's fuel cell technologies. F1 has very specific rules that currently would inhibit the introduction of alternative power on the starting grid. However, having someone like Yamashina near the helm of one of F1's most well-funded teams could lead to some interesting developments. We'll just have to wait and see.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
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