Toyota Unveil TF105 in Barcelona

Toyota became the first Formula One team to unveil their car for the 2005 season when they launched their TF105 at the Estacion de Franca railway station in Barcelona.

The Japanese squad, who are still seeking their first podium after three years of poor performances, believe they can enjoy their most competitive season to date with the new car.

"Our ultimate goal is to win in F1, but we know it takes time," said team principal Tsutomu Tomita. "Our target with the TF105 is to make an important step on our way to victory."

The creation of the TF105 has been overseen by Mike Gascoyne and Luca Marmorini, respective technical directors of the chassis and engine departments. The TF105 is the product of a year-long process in which Toyota have focused on adapting to the new technical regulations for the 2005 season.

"As soon as we began to get an indication of the likely regulation changes for 2005 we started to set our targets accordingly," said Gascoyne. "We compromised the development of our TF104B car in the final races of last season in order to try and gain a competitive advantage in 2005."

New rules for next season will mean an engine has to last for two Grand Prix weekends, a challenge Toyota are confident of succeeding at.

"We have enjoyed quite a smooth transition to the new engine rules," said Marmorini. "We started at a very early stage to develop an engine that was increasingly reliable. During 2004, we began to improve the reliability of specific parts in the engine, and in fact we already used some of these parts in the RVX-04 model.

"Creating an engine to last somewhere in the region of 1,500 kilometres was an enjoyable and interesting technical challenge. I am confident that the RVX-05 will reflect our excellent in-house technical capabilities."

2005 will see Toyota race with a completely revised drivers' line-up, with Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher joining the team. Frenchman Olivier Panis and Brazilian Ricardo Zonta are staying at the team as test drivers.

"Jarno is an extremely quick driver and always determined to prove his worth," said Toyota Motorsport president John Howett. "I am looking forward with enthusiasm to savour his trademark breathtaking qualifying laps in a Toyota.

"Like Jarno, Ralf has integrated into the team very smoothly. He has already demonstrated the pace and capability that has made him a proven race winner. Both will be a real asset to our team, but will undoubtedly place more pressure on us to perform in 2005."

High resolution photos of the launch can be found at the Atlas F1 Photo Gallery.