Briscoe’s F1 career over

Toyota test driver Ryan Briscoe has signed to drive in the IRL for at least two years with Ganassi Racing, and despite what he claims he was told by Ganassi and Toyota (i.e. they would try to get him back into F1) it now looks almost definite that he has been put out to pasture. It appears Toyota is looking for new blood for their future F1 drivers. And why would Toyota send one of their young guns to the IRL to drive in circles when in fact that will only dull his reflexes and not prepare him in any way, shape, or form for F1?

This Grandprix.com article says, We hear from Germany that the Toyota Formula 1 team is planning to announce some new young drivers for its Toyota Drivers Academy now that Ryan Briscoe has gone off to the United States to race with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indy Racing League. The program was run until the middle of last year by Ange Pasquali but he has since departed and the scheme was taken over by Richard Cregan although no mention of it was made at the recent F1 launch.

However our spies tell us that Spain's Borja Garcia, winner of the Spanish Formula 3 series in 2004 with Racing Engineering, will be named as one of the new Toyota men. Garcia is expected to be seen racing in GP2 this year with the Racing Engineering team, although this is still to be officially confirmed.