Toyota Set to Abandon TF105B Plans

The Japanese manufacturer had hoped that the updated car would help lift them nearer the front of the grid in their fight for third place in the Constructors' Championship with Ferrari.

But their plans suffered a setback when the car hit problems during testing at Monza earlier this month, forcing the team to abandon trying to introduce it at the Italian Grand Prix.

And with the issues on the car, believed mostly to relate to a new suspension layout, proving too troublesome, race driver Jarno Trulli believes it is inevitable that the car will now not be ready before the end of the season.

Despite Toyota not having officially confirmed the car will not race, Trulli has said there is no doubt in his mind about the situation.

"I think it's easy to understand that it won't be ready to race," he said.

When asked for his reaction to the news on the TF105B, Trulli said: "Very disappointed, because the team invested a lot on that car.

"We all expected to make a big step forward with that car and, in the end we didn't even manage to run it. We won't be able to race it before the end of the season."

Trulli's disappointment about the TF105B has left him feeling downbeat about Toyota's prospects in the final four races of the season - although he is refusing to pinpoint blame for the situation on the team.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday, Trulli said: "The dull trend of this second half of the season will continue.

"We won't have any important improvements and the experiment with the suspensions at the Monza test lasted half an hour. It was supposed to bring big improvements, [instead] it was useless.

"So, a season that started above expectations, with three podiums in the first five GPs, ends somberly. I'm not accusing anyone. At Monza I could only defend myself from being overtaken; it was impossible to attack."