Toyota unveils new TF105

The team has been told by Toyota's vice-president Akihiko Saito that it must start hunting for podium finishes if the Japanese company is not to begin questioning its massive investment on its F1 programme since 2001. The pressure is also certain to have been increased by its rival Honda's dramatically increased competitiveness last season.

"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 TF105 is the first chassis design by the Japanese manufacturer to be completely guided by technical director Mike Gascoyne and engine director Luca Marmorini.

The car features heavily sculpted rear bodywork with integrated chimney-pods and winglets reminiscent of last season's Renault RS24 (the team Gascoyne left to join Toyota).

The new technical regulations are designed to reduce the cars' downforce by around 20 per cent, and the effect of the rules can be seen in the Toyota's raised front wing and deeper, and forward-extending, rear wing.

"The technical regulations put in place for the 2005 season have had a profound impact on the development of the TF105," said Gascoyne. "We lost around 25 per cent of downforce upon initial implementation of the new aero regulations in the windtunnel and our biggest aim in the TF105 has been to reduce this amount to the minimum in time for January testing. Likewise, our aim prior to the first race in Melbourne is to reduce the level even further.

"Although we are introducing the TF105 comparatively early, there will be significant development on it before the first race of the season."

The revised engine regulations have also affected the new car. F1 engines must now last for two race weekends rather than just one.Toyota's engine designer Luca Marmorini believes that his team has coped well with this new challenge.

"We started designing our RVX-05 engine at a very early stage," he said. "Every single component of the engine underwent thorough reliability tests on the dynos in-house and initial tests of the engine have shown encouraging results.

"We expect to start the 2005 season with the same level of horsepower to how we finished the 2004 season."