Toyota Ready for Formula One 'Adventure'

Toyota driver Allan McNish says he and teammate Mika Salo will not be there just to make up the numbers when the Japanese constructor lines up on a Formula One grid for the first time at next month's Australian Grand Prix.

The 32-year-old Scotsman, who will also be making his Formula One debut in Melbourne on March 3, told reporters on Friday that Toyota would not be in awe of the more established Formula One teams.

"We are on the verge of embarking on a big adventure but we know we are ready to take on the challenge," said McNish, who has worked as a test driver for McLaren and Benetton and won the Le Mans 24 Hours race with Porsche in 1998.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, Salo echoed McNish's sentiments but warned that Toyota's first season would be a learning experience.

"We have done a lot of testing so I am pretty confident. We haven't compared lap times to the other cars so I have no idea where we will end up in qualifying," said the 35-year-old Finn, who made his Formula One debut in 1994.

"I would have liked to do a few more tests but we ran out of time. We just have to improve the car after every race."

Toyota president Fujio Cho was also careful not to over-hype his team, which has been testing intensively since announcing its arrival on the Formula One scene as a full constructor in 1999.

Fever Pitch

"Our rivals have welcomed us to the F1 paddock and the excitement at Toyota is fever pitch. We are on the right track but we are under no illusions how difficult it will be," he said.

However, Toyota vice-president Akihiko Saito said he hoped the team would be picking up Championship points by the 2005 season.

"We are not silly enough to think we will go straight in and start winning races, although I would like to think we can be on the podium within three years," he said.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motorsport chief Ove Andersson agreed that the team would use the 2002 season as a springboard for the future.

"The first few races will be like our final tests after two years of preparation. Winning performances will not be instant but we hope they will come sooner rather than later," he said.