Toyota drivers to give F1 cars one last go

Toyota’s final F1 drivers from 2009 will get behind the wheel of the car one last time later this month.

Jarno Tulli and Kamui Kobayashi will join Kaz Nakajima (who might be tasting F1 speed for the last time) at the Toyota Motor Sport Festival on November 21-22.

You have to assume the event will be your classic bitter-sweet affair, given the team’s decision to pull-out of F1.

Here’s the news, courtesy the team’s site:

Jarno and Kamui are back! 13.11.2009

Jarno Trulli and Kamui Kobayashi will return to the cockpit of a Panasonic Toyota Racing car later this month at the Toyota Motor Sport Festival.

Both drivers will join Kazuki Nakajima at the annual Toyota Motor Sport Festival at Fuji Speedway, running demonstration runs of Toyota Formula 1 cars on November 21-22.

Jarno, the longest-serving and most successful driver in Panasonic Toyota Racing history, completed his last Grand Prix for the team in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the month, ending with a points finish.

But, after the announcement that Toyota will cease its Formula 1 programme with immediate effect, Jarno has decided to get behind the wheel of a TF109 for one last show for the Japanese fans.

Kamui was the star of the show in Abu Dhabi, scoring his first Formula 1 points in a brilliantly exciting drive to sixth place, when he overtook two World Champions on the way.

Both drivers will give the Japanese fans a fitting finale for Toyota’s Formula 1 programme, while other aspects of Toyota’s motorsport heritage will be on show as well.

Kamui’s colleague in the Toyota Young Drivers’ Programme, Kazuki, will get behind the wheel of a Toyota Formula 1 car for the first time, after the end of his three years with Williams.

I suppose we all can wait anxiously to see if Kamui will punt Kaz once more.

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