Following claims that Takuma Sato is looking into the possibility of joining Jordan - which immediately raised the question as to how Toyota, which supplies the Silverstone outfit's engines, would react to a former Honda protege coming on board.

Talking at Interlagos, Toyota motorsport president John Howett made it clear that it will not get involved, either to help or hinder the Japanese driver's (possible) talks with the team.

"If they take him, it's purely their decision," he told reporters. "I believe they are talking to him as one of their options but that is not influenced at all by us."

Since the purchase of Minardi by Red Bull, which has a growing army of potential F1 stars coming up through the ranks, the 'windows' for drivers hoping to remain in, or enter, F1, are few and far between, with Jordan - to be renamed Midland F1 next season - the last refuge. That said, team boss Colin Kolles has strongly hinted that money will be the main hurdle.

"He wants to stay in Formula One and we have a seat for him, so we have to find a solution for that," he told Reuters.

"It's not a question of money as far as what he has to bring," he added. "It's the same with Anthony (Davidson), its a question of the sponsorship that the team will be putting in place for next year. If Benson and Hedges or Gallaher is putting the (same) amount of money into the team that has been put in the past, then of course they would like, I think, to have a British driver in the team."