Toyota quit announcement to be made shortly E-mail
Nov.4 (GMM) Toyota's decision to quit formula one immediately will be made public at 5pm Tokyo time (8am GMT).
2009 team driver Timo Glock is tipped to jump ship to be Robert Kubica's teammate at Renault next year, and his manager Hans Bernd Kamps said he did not know if the rumours about Toyota's exit are true.

But he told Bild newspaper: "It wouldn't surprise me."

It is believed the decision to withdraw was taken some time ago rather than spontaneously, and was rubber-stamped at a board meeting in Japan earlier on Wednesday.

Talks with an Asian buyer of the Cologne based outfit may already be taking place.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told the Daily Telegraph that Toyota's decision to withdraw would be a breach of the 2012 Concorde Agreement.

"It's signed by Toyota Motor Company so I very much doubt they would not go through with something they have already signed," he said. "They are not the sort of people to back out of a deal like that."

Asked whether legal action would be likely, he answered: "I have no idea. It's not the sort of thing we do is it?"

While yet another blow to F1, the news would be very good for BMW-Sauber, whose new owners Qadbak were waiting for a confirmed 2010 team to withdraw in order to gain entry to next year's grid.

"Another team pulling out is the easiest way (to be in F1) from our perspective," team boss Mario Theissen said in Abu Dhabi last weekend.
 

2010 Calendar

RaceGrand Prix Date
1Bahrain GP 14 March
2Australian GP 28 March
3Malaysian GP 4 April
4Chinese GP 18 April
5Spanish GP 9 May
6Monaco GP 16 May
7Turkish GP 30 May
8Canadian GP 13 June
9European GP 27 June
10British GP11 July
11German GP 25 July
12Hungarian GP 1 August
13Belgian GP 29 August
14Italian GP 12 September
15Singapore GP 26 September
16Japanese GP 3 October
17Korean GP 17 October
18Abu Dhabi GP 31 October
19Brazilian GP 14 November
Follow us on Twitter

Driver table

DRIVERS
1 Jenson Button89
2Sebastian Vettel75
3 Rubens Barrichello72

Team table

TEAMS
1Brawn GP161
2Red Bull135,5
3McLaren71