Arrows team mired in controversy

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Agence France-Presse

SUZUKA, Japan (Oct 30, 1998 - 23:56 EST) -- The Arrows team became a target
of speculation here Saturday when it was linked to the Formula One
aspirations of Japanese carmaker Toyota.

Toyota contacted Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw Friday and offered to buy the
team, the Tokyo Chunichi Sports newspaper reported.

But Walkinshaw said that "I haven't met anyone from Toyota,"
adding he was "not going to comment on anything."

There was no immediate comment from Toyota's main offices in Tokyo and Nagoya.

Arrows lies seventh in the constructors championship going into Sunday's
season-ending Grand Prix here.

Toyota president Hiroshi Okuda said last month that the top Japanese
carmaker was "going ahead with a project" to prepare for its F1
entry.

He said Toyota wanted to join F1 after achieving success in the US IndyCar
CART series and the world rallying championship.

Toyota's Japanese rival Honda was reported Friday to be considering making
its promised comeback to F1 as an engine supplier to Jordan before becoming
a full works team.

Honda announced in March it would come back to the premier racing tour,
possibly in 2000, with its own car and team.

Toyota's bid has been limited by a decision this month by the sport's
ruling body, the International Automobile Federation, that only 12 teams
can enter the championship.

As Honda could expand the F1 field to 12, Toyota would have to buy or
supply engines to an existing team.

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