Toyota Ready for Big Jump, Says Panis

Frenchman Olivier Panis believes the Toyota team can make a big jump up the Formula One grid next season thanks to the new TF103 which was unveiled today.

Panis drove for the British American Racing team last season but moved to Japanese squad Toyota after the Brackley-based team decided to hire Briton Jenson Button as Jacques Villeneuve's teammate.

35-year old Panis admitted he was impressed by Toyota's resources and claimed the team are ready to jump forward in 2003.

"I have been incredibly impressed with what I have found at Toyota," said Panis, a former Grand Prix winner with the Ligier team. "All the basic ingredients are in place for the team to make a big jump up the grid in 2003, but for me to comment further on how much progress we can make, I need to test the new car.

"Even then we will have to wait until Melbourne to discover where we are in relation to our competitors."

Panis will be joined at Toyota by CART champion Cristiano da Matta, who will make his Grand Prix debut this year. Both men will take to the track tomorrow to begin Toyota's 2003 testing programme, with Panis driving the new TF103 while da Matta will use the hybrid TF102B.