Toyota move saved my F1 career, says Salo

The Finn, who will soon embark on a year's worth of development of Toyota's new F1 challenger with fellow test driver Allan McNish, says the decision to take a sabbatical to help Toyota from Day One was the right one.

"The fact that I'm not racing is the only part that was difficult," said the Finn. "It would have been a dream come true for me if Toyota was racing this year. Then it would have not been difficult at all."

Salo, who finished tenth in last year's World Championship, has denied that 2001 is a year lost from his F1 career.

"I don't really lose it," he said of this season. "I'm sort of putting it in the bank for my future. I think if I stayed with Sauber I would have lost my motivation, and that probably would have been my last year in F1."

The 34-year-old believes he has made the right choice to put all his eggs in the Japanese car producing giant's basket.

"Every time I go to the factory it makes me more happy," he said. "It's such a huge operation. It's made me realise how big the company is. I was in Japan a couple of weeks ago, and we have full support from the head office of Toyota."

Toyota's new challenger is launched to the world's media at Paul Ricard in France on Friday.

For full Mika Salo Q&A, click HERE.