Briscoe Tags Toyota 'Awesome' Car

Ryan Briscoe, Toyota's test driver, predicted on Monday that the new Formula One team would soon be emerging from the back of the grid.

"They've got a good opportunity to be competitive," the 20-year-old Australian said in Melbourne, ahead of Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where Toyota will make their debut.

"It (the new Toyota car) was awesome, really. There are big improvements. If they keep going ahead like that it's not going to take long to get to the front."

Briscoe, who is also Toyota's reserve driver, will compete in Formula 3000 for Nordic Racing this year.

The Italian-based Sydneysider, who is one year into a 10-year contract with Toyota, said he wanted to be a Formula One driver sooner rather than later.

"I'm hoping it won't take long," he said while being mobbed by workers at Toyota's plant in Altona in west Melbourne. "With all the testing, hopefully I'll do a good job with the team this year and I'll be sort of standing by as the (reserve) driver at the moment. So hopefully next year if everything goes well, I'll be racing."

Briscoe won the Italian Formula Renault championship last year.

"It's just amazing for me," he said of his Formula One role. "I couldn't have expected it. Two years ago I was racing go-karts."