Howett: « Trulli’s contract will (probably) not be extended »

Toyota Motorsport President John Howett warned the press today that Jarno Trulli’s contract will likely not be renewed in 2010. The Italian has slim chances of staying with Toyota after the latest negotiations.

The transfer market is gradually coming to life at the end of the 2009 season, and even though Alonso is at the center of attention, it seems that many changes will occur this winter – the presence of at least three new teams facilitating arrivals.

In this context, John Howett informed the press after the qualifications that his number one driver, Jarno Trulli, would likely not be renewed for the next season. The latest negotiations are reportedly not very effective.

« We are in talks with Trulli and at present we have not reached an agreement. There is a possibility that we will not reopen the doors for him next year. » Howett commented to the German news agency Reuters.

« For now, the disagreement is significant, and I must admit there is a strong probability that we will not renew it (his contract). » Continue the English.

The contract of Trulli with Toyota ends this season, unlike Timo Glock’s, which includes an option for 2010. Nevertheless, the team claims to have not made any decisions yet and is open to any proposals. The transfer market is fully open: « To be honest, the transfer season really started this week. There are three or four people in the press conference who have warned; we want to wait to see if the rumors about Alonso and Ferrari are true and what will be the position of the BMW drivers and the future of their team. »

When questioned, Trulli confirmed the statements and asserted that it was not about money: « Salary has nothing to do with it. At the moment, Toyota is making many cost reductions, and the team is like a family to me, and if I have to save it, I would have no problem playing along by reducing my salary. I just want to know what the team wants. »

« For now, I don’t know what the team expects from me. I don’t know if they blame me for something or the reason for their doubts. What I do know is that the economic crisis will have a big role to play in this and in my future. However, I think I can stay in F1 next year… » Concluded the 35-year-old Italian.