Ralf to sign for Toyota?
Latest twist to contract saga suggests Schuey Jr is ready to move
Williams driver Ralf Schumacher is reportedly on the verge of signing a £60 million deal to drive for Toyota next season in the latest twist to the ongoing saga over the German's 2005 destiny.
A source close to Schumacher has told The Sun newspaper that a five-year contract with the Japanese team has already been drawn up and it includes bonus performance clauses, which could net Ralf an extra £4 million.
In contrast, Williams wants to cut Schumacher's salary from £12 million to £3 million, also with performance-based bonus money available.
If the source is correct, the move would contradict Schumacher's manager Willi Weber, who said last week that his charge's stalled contract negotiations with Williams-BMW were not about money, and that Schumacher would take a pay cut in order to remain at the team. He also insisted that he had not spoken with Toyota about a seat for 2005.
It was understood that Weber had set a deadline for a week after this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix for any Williams deal to be in place.
But the Sun's source said: "It looks odds-on that Ralf will be at Toyota next season because there is no way Williams will try and match the offer."
It added that Schumacher wants to transform Toyota into a championship-winning team in the way his older brother Michael has done with Ferrari in order to give his career a boost.
The source said: "He has watched the adulation Michael has earned by making Ferrari great and he would like to see if he can do the same with Toyota. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Source : Autocar |