Toyota Aim for First Podium with TF104

The Toyota Formula One team became on Saturday the third Grand Prix squad to officially unveil their new car for the 2004 season.

The Japanese outfit, who made their Formula One debut only two seasons ago, presented their new TF104 at their Cologne base in Germany. The TF104, the team said, is a completely new car compared to last year's TF103, with which Toyota scored 16 points on their way to eight place in the Constructors' Championship.

Toyota will start the 2004 season with a new team boss in Tsutomu Tomita, who replaced Swede Ove Andersson due to Toyota's retirement policy, which stipulates employees must retire from any executive position at the age of 65.

Tomita said at the launch of the new car that Toyota's goals for the upcoming season were "to be in a point-scoring position in every race" and to achieve their first podium finish since making their Grand Prix debut at the start of the 2002 season.

"I have taken over the exciting role of managing all Toyota's F1 activities on and off the race track, alongside John Howett," said Tomita. "In order to make our technical areas more efficient, we have appointed Luca Marmorini and Mike Gascoyne as Technical Director in the engine and chassis departments respectively.

"Everyone in the team is fully committed to rapid, continuous improvement and teamwork and it is my firm belief that this will allow Panasonic Toyota Racing to make its biggest step forward in 2004. I want to see us achieve improved race results this season and, if conditions are favorable, score our first ever podium position."

Chief designer Gustav Brunner said the TF104 had very few similarities with its predecessor.

"Last year's TF103 was a competitive package, but we were unable to get everything out of it and the TF104 is a logical progression on that," said Brunner. "Not one part of the car is the same as last year. We have made improvements and evolutions in all areas of the chassis, with a significant redesign of all of the car's critical internal components.

"Again, we have made big steps forward in the aerodynamics, as well as making the whole car lighter and stiffer."

Toyota Motorsport president John Howett said the team will have a smaller budget for 2004 than they had for the 2003 season, and claimed that Toyota's budget is "not as large as people would like to think."

The Japanese squad have kept their driver line-up unchanged for the new season, and will have Frenchman Olivier Panis and Brazilian Cristiano da Matta as their racing drivers for 2004.

"On occasions in 2003, we showed what Toyota is capable of," said Panis. "Our race result in Hockenheim and our top three qualifying performances in Indianapolis and Suzuka proved that we could do the job. In 2004, we have to use these achievements as a springboard, to focus on reliability and get the results we deserve.

"That means plenty of points and a constant progression during the year."

Ricardo Zonta will continue to be the team's third driver, while Ryan Briscoe will stay as their tester.