Oct.20 (GMM) Jarno Trulli’s hopes of retaining his seat at Toyota beyond 2009 seem to have grown even more, despite earlier expectations that the Italian veteran is set to leave.
The 35-year-old took the team’s travelling crew of more than 80 people out to dinner in Brazil last weekend, and observed that “not one” of them wants the forthcoming Abu Dhabi GP to be his last for the Cologne based squad.
“Well, maybe one,” said Trulli, apparently referring to team president John Howett, who has said repeatedly on a number of occasions that the Italian is very likely to leave.
Trulli, however, told reporters at Interlagos – where it was rumoured he is at the top of the list for a Lotus seat in 2010 – that team principal Tadashi Yamashina has asked him to sit tight until the outcome of a Toyota board meeting in mid November.
Howett revealed that Toyota has made an offer for the 2010 season to Kimi Raikkonen’s management, but according to the Reuters news agency, he said “a degree of discussion” is ongoing with both Trulli and Timo Glock.
When the Trulli rumours first emerged, it was suggested that he was simply at odds with Toyota over the proposed size of his 2010 retainer.
Howett said: “We have put an offer on the table with Jarno, I think that he himself is not dissatisfied with the financial offer, the bottom line to some extent is certain issues on the contract and I don’t think they are negotiable from our side.
“He may well be in the car next year but it’s not at all clear,” he added.
