A fond farewell to Mika and Allan.

Toyota's much maligned decision to drop both its 2002 drivers, Allan McNish and Mika Salo, did not prevent the team from giving the pair a heart-felt send-off after the Japanese Grand Prix.

At a team meeting in Nagoya on the Monday after the race, executive vice-president of Toyota Motor Corporation, Dr Akihiko Saito, presented Salo and McNish with an authentic TF102 steering wheel as a sign of appreciation for all their hard work and dedication to the Toyota Formula One programme.

"To Mika and Allan, just simply thank you very much for your good work and your positive attitude to a beginner team, a fact which I am sure must have been very frustrating for you from time to time," commented Panasonic Toyota Racing president Ove Andersson in appreciation of his drivers, "Whatever you will be doing in future, you will always remain in the history books as the first ever drivers for Toyota in F1."

Thousands of Japanese fans also showed their appreciation of the successful job both drivers have done in the years they have been with Toyota.

At special fan events held in Nagoya and Toyota City, Salo and McNish were given bouquets of flowers and even a framed caricature of themselves!

Both drivers also took time to answer questions and sign autographs for the 2000-plus Toyota fans, who had come along with flags and banners. Getting both drivers safely out of the crowd did prove to be more difficult, however.