Toyota launch the TF106 in France

The Japanese squad's TF106 was the first 2006 car to hit the track, making its debut in December at the Barcelona circuit.

Toyota are hoping the early launch will give them the advantage of having more time to work on improving the performance and reliability of the car ahead of the start of the season in Bahrain in March.

The TF106 unveiled today in France, however, will change considerably when the competition starts in nearly two months time, as Toyota plan a major upgrade for the car before the season starts.

"We feel that the concept of holding a new car launch at the beginning of each year, just for the sake of it, is outdated," said Technical Director Mike Gascoyne. "We are updating more major elements on an increasingly frequent basis.

"Although this can be a difficult process to manage it does mean that we can ensure resources are being spent in areas that make the car go quicker, as and when it is required, and not simply on redesigning existing components just because we feel that we have to.

"Consequently, we have moved to a process of continuous evolution, hence the smooth transition from TF105 to TF105B and to the early completion of TF106."

Toyota said their development programme will be exhaustive this season, and they plan to introduce another revised version of the car - the TF106B - at the Monaco Grand Prix, the seventh round of the Championship.

"Toyota Production System is part of the Toyota Way and enables us to increase efficiency in all areas of the corporation by eliminating waste through a continuous improvement approach," said Team Principal Tsutomu Tomita.

"TPS has been expanded to all areas of the Toyota Corporation, including Toyota Motorsport and our Formula activities."

Toyota team president John Howett said the Toyota Production System will allow the Cologne-based squad to reduce costs as well as improve efficiency.

"Every day we can see and feel the benefits that TPS brings us," said Howett. "We have created a special TPS group in Cologne and by infusing TPS throughout the factory we have been able to cut down lead times, reduce costs, increase overall efficiency and positively impact all areas of the team with notable examples in CNC and Composites.

"It is an ongoing process, one which we encourage all team members to live by and embrace. There is no end to the improvement cycle and one major part of TPS is to promote the active involvement and feedback of the individuals doing the job, rather than simply dictate from above."

Toyota said the implementation of TPS has played a significant factor in their ability introduce the TF106 early, and they hope will pay off during the season.

"With the move from V10 to V8 engines in 2006, it has been extremely beneficial to have the TF106 package running in the November-December tests," said Technical Director Engine Luca Marmorini. "By waiting until January, it would be too long to react and change long-lead parts in time for the first race.

"We were able to confirm things that we tested on the dyno and generally we have maximised our time. All drivers have given us positive feedback in terms of performance and reliability, so we were already confident that we had a raceable package, even if the rate of development never stops."