Toyota F1 Profiles

By Karl. Content: Toyota F1 Media
February 18 2006

Use this page to navigate your way around the profiles of the main people in the management, technical and operations departments...

Tsutumu Tomita

Tsutomu Tomita's Toyota career began in the twilight years of the 1960s, when he joined the corporation as an engine development engineer in 1969. Two decades later, in 1987, he took control of all Toyota racing engines, including Le Mans V8 and V10s and those for the World Rally Championship.

His passionate devotion to Toyota was rewarded in 1996, when he became a member of the board of directors

More >

John Howett

John Howett has been a Toyota man for over 25 years, having graduated from the Loughborough College of Technology in 1973.

He first stepped into the motorsport arena in the late 1970s, co-ordinating the rally team’s service and preparation operations alongside Ove Andersson for three years.

More >
 

Yoshiaki Kinoshita

A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Kyusyu University, Yoshiaki Kinoshita originally joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 1979 as an engine research and development engineer.

Kinoshita also has a vast experience of Toyota's motorsport activities, having been involved in the World Rally Championship from 1989 to 1995 and concurrently in the Le Mans programmes of 1992 and 1993.

More >

Luca Marmorini

Luca Marmorini joined Toyota Motorsport in September 1999 as Project Leader of the engine department. His initial role encapsulated all technical activities including design, calculation, R&D and dyno support.

In just under twelve months, the Italian and his team of engineers created Toyota's first ever V10 engine, the RVX-01. 

More >

Mike Gascoyne

Mike Gascoyne's career in Formula 1 began in 1989 when he joined McLaren for a two-year spell as aerodynamicist.

A brief sojourn as Chassis Dynamicist at Tyrrell led to a three-year post as Head of Aerodynamics at Sauber from 1991.

In 1994, Gascoyne rejoined Tyrrell as Deputy Technical Director, where he made his base for almost five years.

More >

Noritoshi Arai

Noritoshi Arai joined Toyota as a Chassis Design Engineer in 1979, and eight years later transferred to Brussels as Toyota expanded its European operations.

A racing fan, while in Europe he went to Le Mans and Grands Prix as a spectator. In 1990, he returned to Japan to join the Motor Sport Division in Higashifuji.

He worked on the TS010 LeMans car.

More >

Pascal Vasselon

Pascal Vasselon joined Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2005, and has quickly proved himself to be a valuable member of the engineering team.

Like so many in the sport, he began his career in aerospace, at the prestigious L'Ecole Nationale Superieure de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace.

More >

Richard Cregan

A Toyota employee since 1984, Richard Cregan has held numerous positions in his 21 years at Toyota Motorsport.

In that time, the Irishman has seen his career ladder take him through the championship-winning rally programme to the near-misses in the Le Mans 24 hours.

Since 2001, he has been General Manager F1 Operations.

More  >

Dieter Gass

With a successful background in Le Mans, Touring Cars and other manufacturer series, including a championship-winning stint as a racing driver from 1988- 1991, Gass joined Panasonic Toyota Racing at the start of its F programme in 2001.

The German was appointed as a test engineer for the team's intensive season of preparation with the TF101 test car at 11 Grand Prix circuits worldwide.

More >