Toyota unveil their 2006 car

The Japanese squad, renowned for their early car launches since making their debut in 2000, unleashed the 2006 car over three months before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Technical Director Chassis Mike Gascoyne believes the head start could offer the team a significant advantage.

"We have been working on the TF106 since the end of 2004," said Gascoyne, "and the introduction of this car at such an early stage is a true testament to the work of the team and shows that we are able to react and push forward at a rate that is necessary to be at the forefront of Formula One."

The TF106 sports a brand new rear end, designed to accommodate the new V8 engine, with a development of the monocoque and front suspension of the TF105B interim car that was brought in for the final two races of the 2005 season.

Gascoyne said the new car will run in Barcelona already this week.

"We are adopting a similar schedule to last season by testing the car early," added Gascoyne.

"This allows us to develop the mechanical side of car thoroughly before we introduce a new aero package in time for the first race. This strategy helped us to be extremely competitive at the start 2005 and we are confident the same will happen in 2006."

"The front end of the TF106 is an evolution of our TF105B that raced in Japan and China, but the major design change for 2006 has been the implementation of the V8 engine in line with the new technical regulations, which has resulted in the redesign of the rear end," added Gascoyne.