Jarno Trulli's five-year association with Toyota looks to be drawing to a close if the admission of John Howett is anything to go by, as the big-budget Japanese manufacturer's motorsport president suggested 'there is a very strong probability' of the experienced Italian's contract with the te♎am not being renewed for 2010.

Trulli has notched up 22.5 of Toyota's 38.5 points in F1 this season, registered two of the Cologne-based outfit's three rostrum finishes and out-qualified team-mate Timo Glock eight times to three, leading the German to the squad's first-ever front row lock-out in Bahrain back in April and missing out♛ on the top ten shoot-out on only four occasions.

However, in recent races the Abruzzese's form has been increasingly p൲atchy, with Glock comfortably outpacing him in Germany and Hungary, and even Trulli's fabled one-lap qualifying speed deserting him in Valencia this weekend as he will begin the European Grand Prix from a lowly 18th place, five spots behind the sister TF109. He admitted that his position within the team is far from assured.

"We are talking," the 35-year-old is quoted as having said by international news agency Reuters, "but꧃ nothing is really sure or clear so I think we need to wait a little bit more. I am waiting to talk with some teams. With others we are in talks, but the priority is understanding first of all what Toyota is doing and♔ wants to do.

"Money has never been an issue,꧑ absolutely not. At the moment there is a lot of cost-cutting, and I do beli✅eve the driver also has to play his role in this and I am more than happy to [do so]."

Howett corroborated those sentiments, revealing that with the transfer market in a state of flux with so many competitors out-of-contract at the end of the campaign - made even more unpred💦ictable by BMW's announcement of withdrawal late last month, leaving ꧅both Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld seeking available berths - discussions are ongoing with a number of drivers. The Englishman did hint, however, that Glock would likely be staying put.

"We are in negotiation [with Trulli]," he acknowledged. "We haven't reached an agreement, and there is a possibility that we won't cꦑlose the gap. At the moment the gap is reasonably large. We have to say there is a very strong probability not [to renew his contract].

"With Timo we 🎶have the contract to our advantage. I think there is a high probability we will renew, but we have asked him to try and look at qualifying. In races he is phenomena🍃l; I think he was second-quickest from our analysis in Hungary, so the race pace is there - the car certainly can work extremely competitively.

"I think looking at the way the drivers' market is moving...we have all got to hold our breath a bit and see what happens. There are a lot of drivers who are talking to everybody at the moment. It seems that the Ferrari position with Kimi [Raikkonen] could then create other opportunities or close them for others...it's one of those situations where as soon as one moves it beco🐈mes fairly clear."