Toyota on a mission at the Hungaroring?

Toyota President Ove Andersson and Akihiko Saito (Vice President of the Toyota Motor Corporation) caused a stir today at the Hungarian Grand Prix when they toured through the pit lane during qualifying.

Toyota have attended a number of the European Grand's Prix this year as part of a fact finding mission ahead of their official participation in the 2002 FIA Formula One World Championship.

The team currently brings a motorhome to events, which is not allowed in the F1 paddock and is thus situated with the F3000 teams. It is not known what the other F1 outfit's made of their appearance but cynics among the paddock will probably regard the 'tour' suspiciously with others branding it blatant spying.

In Friday's press conference three team bosses - Bobby Rahal, Craig Pollock and Paul Stoddart - spoke out against Toyota and their plans to continue testing all the way to the end of the year and through the F1 testing ban.

Stoddart - boss of the European-Minardi team - said: "I don't think any of the teams are happy about it (there plans to test all the way until the end of the year) - there can't be one rule for some and one rule for others - and Mr. Andersson needs to abide by the rules like we all have to, otherwise there's no point in having a testing ban. I certainly for one would not be happy if they were allowed to test during the ban and I certainly would - if nobody else did, which I'm sure they would - raise the question at the next team owners meeting for that not to be allowed to happen."

Toyota have not been popular in the F1 paddock since many perceived that they poached Minardi's Technical Director Gustav Brunner and many outift's probably fear that some of their team members might be next.