24 hours before his solid second place in Singapore, Timo Glock was
informed by his Toyota boss John Howett that the option on his contract to
include the 2010 season will not be taken up by the Japanese team.
The information was reported by the German publications Sport Bild as well
as newspapers Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and Bild-Zeitung.
A spokesman for the Cologne based team also confirmed the news, but
contradicted those publications who interpreted the move as Glock, 27,
having been "fired".
Rather, he insisted that Toyota's partnership with Glock is not
necessarily at an end, but that both sides had been given freedom to assess
their options.
"The door is not closed," he added, also insisting that the news has
nothing to do with the team's future.
But with Jarno Trulli's future also in the air, the news might be seen as
yet more evidence that parent company Toyota Motor Co. intends to pull the
plug at the end of the season.
Glock also confirmed the news about his expiring 2010 option. "Now I have
to look around," he said, admitting that his podium had been "certainly
timely".
Countryman Sebastian Vettel said he was shocked to hear that Toyota was not
automatically renewing Glock's deal, but surmised that his Singapore
podium had been "the right answer" to give.
Glock added: "I have several possibilities and I am very confident. Let's
see what happens this week."
