Toyota to Sell TF110 Model to Other Teams

Toyota might have pulled out of Formula One a few days ago, but the Japanese board of directors' decision certainly came as a blow to its Cologne headquarters. It seems that Toyota's F1 operations already made plans for 2010, thinking that their parent company would stick around at least until 2012 (when the new Concorde Agreement will expire).

Consequently, the team already developed their 2010 challenger, named the TF110. Now that the car has no use for the Japanese team, Toyota may be inclined to sell the model to another team. As the situation presents itself these days, we'd be inclined to think of only two teams who'll need it: US Grand Prix Engineering or Manor F1.

First of all, the whole TF110 development saga was set off by French newspaper Le Parisien, whose reporters noted that Toyota's F1 operations were already quite advanced in their development of the aforementioned car. So, in case these allegations prove to be true, the two newly-entrants can already start thinking of negotiations.

Campos Grand Prix' prepared 2010 challenger has already passed the FIA crash tests (frontal and lateral), as confirmed by their race driver Bruno Senna. That means they'd have no need of Toyota's machinery, and the same thing goes for Lotus F1 Team. The Malaysian team was the first one to show pictures of their 2010 wind tunnel model last month, despite the legal implications it might come with.

The two other teams that one may think of would be privateers Scuderia Toro Rosso and Qadbak/Sauber. While the former already started work for their first in-house chassis in Formula One, the latter is still expecting the go ahead from the FIA for a 2010 entry. In addition, it seems that work at the Hinwil headquarters has been continuous through the last few months, despite BMW's quitting announcement.