Toyota Keeping Their Feet on the Ground

Toyota team principal Ove Andersson feels that his team have made a leap forward after Cristiano da Matta led the British Grand Prix on Sunday for 18 laps.

Following two safety car incidents in the opening laps of the race, Brazilian da Matta found himself leading the Silverstone race, before eventually dropping down to finish in seventh place. Andersson believes the achievement marks a new era for the team, and was happy to bask in their success.

"It was a great feeling, of course, and one must admit somewhat unexpected," he said. "The uncertain circumstances (of the safety cars) gave us this opportunity, and it was a great feeling - to lead a race."

Andersson is a realist, however, and knows that the team - in their second year in Formula One - are not yet at a stage where they can expect to repeat the feat on a regular basis.

"We feel a bit behind the other teams, because of the speed of development of the other cars, and our relative inexperience," said Andersson. "But it looks as though we have made a step forward, and we still have one or two improvements for later in the season."

Andersson is also unwilling to deviate from Toyota's five-year plan to be successful in Formula One, which he believes will serve them well in the long-term.

"I don't think we can change from that," he stated. "We need to reach a competitive level and be competitive at the top end of the grid - currently we are maybe competitive in the second half of the grid. We are keeping our feet on the ground, and have a long way to go."