Brunner leaves Toyota

Panasonic Toyota Team has parted company with its chief designer Gustav Brunner after deciding that the Austrian’s post was redundant. Brunner joined Toyota from the Minardi Team in 2001 and now leaves the company.

Spokesman Toyota “Toyota Motorsport GmbH can confirm that Gustav Brunner has left the team. Toyota has made operational changes to its chassis department as part of a continuous improvement process which has seen the implementation of three chassis development project groups within its Formula 1 team. With three groups running in parallel, one focusing on the current car, one concentrating on the next stage of development and the third looking at advanced design, the position of chief designer has become obsolete.”

Brunner joined Toyota from Minardi in early 2001, but has been in the background since Mike Gascoyne's high-profile signing as technical director in 2003.