Sad farewell for Toyota

Toyota may have bowed out of World Championship Rallying as Manufacturers' Champion, but their final day was a disaster. The retirements of Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz within the final two stages meant that the Network Q Rally of Britain is the only event of the year that they failed to score a point

Nov 23, 1999, 6:00 PM

Auriol lost a wheel and damaged the sump while running fourth after he hit a rock. The resultant water leak meant he was OTL for the final stage. 'The impact took the alternator belt off and cut one of the water pipes to the engine. We repaired everything after the stage and, although the temperatures were going up, we could continue.

'We did the best we could, but we simply ran out of time. I don't need to say how disappointing this is for us and the whole team.

Sainz retired after the front suspension broke on the penultimate stage. The Spaniard had charged from 15th overnight, and was up to seventh when the right front suspension broke halfway through the penultimate stage. 'We tried to carry on, but it just wasn't possible. We seem to be completely fated in this rally -- I don't know what else to say.'