FEBRUARY 25, 2005

Toyota cuts back on youngsters

Panasonic Toyota Racing is concentrating its efforts on Formula 1 and cutting back on its Young Driver programme. Only three men will remain in the programme, which was formerly called the Toyota Drivers Academy. The three lucky men are France's Franck Perera, who will continue to race for the Prema Powerteam in the Formula 3 Euroseries; Kohei Hirate, runner-up in the 2004 Italian Formula Renault championship, who moves up to the Formula 3 series with Team Rosberg; and Kamui Kobayashi, who will have a second season in Italian Formula Renault with Prema Powerteam. Toyota will continue to run its successful driver promotion scheme in Japan with the Formula Toyota Racing School.