Christian Horner has blamed the fickleness of the manufacturers in the Formula One world when it comes to the loss of several car giants in the last twelve months, and the possibility of losing yet another in Renault, the Red Bull Racing boss reiterating that the pinnacle of Motorsports should not be relying on the car makers to survive, instead they need to be focusing on the heart and soul of the series, the independent teams...

"It was with great sadness we learned of Toyota's position," Horner told the BBC. "You have to feel for the employees. I think there's not far off a thousand that are going to be facing a difficult future unless they embark on other programs. For Formula One to lose a name, and the biggest car manufacturer in the world in Toyota, is disappointing. But it shows Formula One should not be reliant on manufacturers. Independent teams are the heart and soul of Formula One. They don't tend to come and go as manufacturers do."

While saddened by the loss of Toyota from their midst next year, Horner believes that fans will still have a great show to watch next season with thirteen teams and that the door is now open for the privately funded Sauber team to return....

"We've still a very healthy grid. Toyota's demise gives a chance to the Sauber team, now privately owned, to take their place. So we are set for a really competitive year in 2010. We'll have 13 teams, hopefully. But unfortunately without Toyota, which is a shame and a loss."