Why F1 is better of without Toyota

F1 has been rocked this week after the culmination of a terrific and unpredictable season by the sudden withdrawal of Toyota from the sport, despite having signed up to stay in until 2012 and the possible withdrawal of Renault. This follows on the heels of BMW announcing it was pulling out earlier this season and Honda who pulled out at the end of last season. Add to this the fact that Bridgestone, the tyre manufacturer to F1 has also announced it will not be renewing it's agreement and you could easily conclude that the sport is in meltdown.

Those who think that F1 must have the top motor manufacturers in it to make it relevant have forgotten the rich history of this sport. Bernie Ecclestone, who has done a tremendous amount to bring the sport to the heights of popularity that it enjoys these days, seems to think that it needs these firms to make it the premier motor racing tournament.

History does not bear this thesis out however. Look at both of the major teams of the last decade, Ferrari and McLaren. True nowadays Ferrari is the prestige brand of Fiat but it started when Enzo Ferrari left the Maserati team to start his own team solely to race in Formula 1. Mclaren was one of those teams started by an ex-World Champion (in this case Bruce McLaren), although again now it is in the main supported by Mercedes. The other teams that have won World Championships have equally humble origins. Brabham was another driver start-up team. Lotus was created by Colin Chapman and only became a motor manufacturer because of its success on the racetrack not the other way round. Look at the last great independent in the sport today, Williams. A team that battled for many years without a victory before they became World conquerers, subsequently (and wisely as it turns out) rejecting a buyout from BMW to remain independent. When this sport has been at its most competitive, most innovative it has been driven by skilled engineers and designers not by multinational conglomerates who want to sell more of their bland town car or (never used) off-road 4x4.

Indeed one only has to look at this remarkable season to see who adapted to the rule changes the best. Brawn, freed from the yoke of Honda, were first out of the blocks with the double defuser, a smart interpretation of the rules that would have made Chapman smile. Williams also had a double defuser and ended up having their best season for some time, albeit with the one driver they wanted rather than the one forced on them by their engine manufacturer. The other team to have the double defuser? Toyota. A team that has supposedly pumped more into its F1 team than anyone else, even beating Ferrari, who this season had a the technological edge that would prove to be the difference between first and second in the championship. What happened to them? Well, they were competitive one weekend and nowhere the next, ultimately dropping out of the sport altogether. Brawn won the World Championship for both driver and manufacturer, whilst Williams got out of the Toyota deal, got themselves the Cosworth engine deal for next year and an very sensible pairing of experienced F1 driver and proven race winner, Rubens Barrichello and up and coming racer, current F2 champion Nico Hülkenberg.

The other major team of the year, the team that came second in the Championship, the team that "won" the second half of the season was Red Bull. A team with the best designer of the past 15 years, Adrian Newey creating a car that looked different depending on the circuit, sometimes with the pinsharp shark nose and sometimes with the broad shovel nosed variant if that was what suited the track. Late on McLaren took what was a dreadful car and miraculously made a silk purse out of it and Ferrari looked competent at times but the season belonged to two independents.

When F1 was great there were a number of teams competing for race wins, they all tended to use the same engine, the old Ford Cosworth V8, which meant that it was the designers, the chassis, the drivers and the skill of the teams that won through and I hope that this loss of the manufacturers from F1 will see a return to the days when we focused less on budget and more innovation and ingenuity. Bye-bye Toyota, hello racing.