Interview with Tadashi Yamashina, President and Team Principal of Toyota F1

Your first year as President and Team Principal ends during the days of the French Grand Prix: your considerations?
It was very interesting, especially because I learned about all the team members and their different cultures. Thanks to teamwork, my colleagues constantly improve their performance; everyone is very motivated, and one of my main tasks is to encourage all the people in our team, not only those who work on the track but also the people in every department of the factory. I like this assignment and I want to do it as best I can.

Is your role exclusively related to Formula 1?
My work largely involves Formula 1, to which I dedicate about 90% of my time, but I also have to cover Japanese motorsports, which includes Super GT, Formula Nippon and Formula 3. The NASCAR series in the United States is under the responsibility of Toyota Racing Development USA.

How did you react to the news of Ove Andersson's passing?
It was a very sad event. Where he was the first Team Principal of Panasonic Toyota Racing, the main architect of Toyota's successes in rallying and at Le Mans, without forgetting his contribution to the creation of the Formula 1 team. His accident was an incredible shock and all team was deeply saddened.

Has the team changed in the last year?
I think the team has changed and even improved. From a technical point of view, all the staff at the factory and on the track have contributed to improving the performance and reliability of the car, and this is evident from our results. When we set a goal, every engineer and every team member works hard to achieve it. Everyone actively participates, and I am proud of them, because the results can be seen.

Do you like the challenges of Formula 1?
I am very happy to be able to face the challenges that Formula 1 offers us. This job is very different from my previous assignment abroad, at the Toyota Technical Center in the USA, because here the results are immediate. The races take place every two weeks and, after each race, we have to analyze the performances and take necessary action in case of disappointing results. However, developing cars takes years, so for me it was a big change. Luckily I enjoy the challenges we face every day.

Do you have confidence in the team's future?
Certainly. My goal is to ensure that everyone contributes to improving performance and that this trend is constant. Each team member must never stop asking themselves how they can contribute to improving performance, regardless of the tasks performed. My job is to make this happen and, after a year, I believe we are going in the right direction. What I see is that once the path to take has been indicated, the whole team collaborates with great determination.

What are your goals for 2008?
Our ambition is to always climb to the top step of the podium, but it is clear that the car's performance is far from that of Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber. So this year's goal is to close the gap and cross the finish line in the top six positions, trying to get on the podium.

Why won't he be present at the French Grand Prix?
I'm supposed to attend a shareholders' meeting of Toyota Motor Corporation. In fact we discussed for a long time, because I really wanted to be in France, but I was asked to fly to Japan at the weekend and ensure my presence at the meeting; this meeting always takes place on the same date, and unfortunately this time it coincides with a Grand Prix. I'm sorry I won't be able to watch this race, but I will watch everything that happens in Magny–Cours on television. I will support the team remotely and call regularly to be updated on developments.