In a surprise move, Toyota Team Manager Richard Cregan, who recently announced that he is to stand down at the end of the season, has revealed that he is heading to Adu Dhabi to join the Yas Marina Circuit team.

From the moment Toyota announced the departure of Cregan, rumours about his new position began to spread within the paddock.

However, it has now been confirmed by Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management's Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Gurdjian, that Cregan will be the latest addition to his Yas Marina Circuit team. Cregan starts his new role of Team Manager of ADMM on February 1st 2009 and will report directly to Gurdjian.

The move marks the end of Cregan's 24-year stint at Toyota with both the Motorsport division and Formula 1 team where he played a significant part in shaping Toyota Motorsport's history.

Commenting on his appointment Cregan said: "Whilst I'm very sad to be leaving Toyota, I'm excited about the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in Abu Dhabi. Philippe is incredibly determined about making the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix something extraordinary and it's not often that you get the chance to be involved in such a unique and interesting project."

Bringing with him a wealth of operational experience from within Formula 1, Cregan joins a core team of specialists from international motorsports and United Arab Emirates experts tasked with engaging the local community and developing motorsport within the Middle East region.

Philippe Gurdjian said: "Richard represents another key addition to the team here in Abu Dhabi - his management skills combined with his in-depth understanding of the world of Formula 1 made him an extremely strong candidate for the team.

"Richard's experience, gained from working his way up from the bottom of an industry to his existing role, gives him a wider comprehension of the challenges faced when creating a new business and developing a sporting property. I am very much looking forward to welcoming him here."