Light at the end of the tunnel…

If today was Christmas day, it would had made more sense, as Toyota unwrapped their 2005 challenger the TF105 in front of 200 lucky journalists and guests around the back of a railway station in Barcelona, Spain – lets hope B.A.R aren’t launching theirs behind Waterloo Station as it would be nicked and a bird would turn it into a toilet.

Never the less, platforms 16 and 17 took center stage as 2005 drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli stood proudly alongside their new Toyota. It’s been said to be one of the strongest driver line ups on the Formula One grid, with a combined total of 257 experienced grand prix races, with experienced Oliver Panis the teams third and development driver and Ricardo Zonta the teams Friday Tester, the team has the drivers to start challenging for that first podium and more importantly first race victory.

With regulation changes a key factory, I was very much surprised of how ‘normal’ the new TF105 looked, no hammerhead front wing, or ambitious designed side pods, it looked like your average Formula One Racing Car, with a few livery changes around the side pod and rear wing area. It looks like Toyota are keeping things simple and have learnt from the likes of McLaren and Williams that ‘over designing’ can in fact make you go backwards rather than forwards.

Toyota Team Principal Tsutomu Tomita has faith that the team have learnt from their mistakes in 2004 and can turn them into positive results during 2005. But he warns results must come if they are to justify the millions of dollars plugged into the project. Only a few days ago Akihiko Saito, vice-president of the Japanese manufacturer, was asked of his targets for the 2005 season, his reply: “Next year I demand a podium finish.” Respective Team Technical Directors Mike Gascoyne and Luca Marmorini who designed the TF105 are also secretly confident that having compromised the TF104B during the final few races of last year will give them a small edge over their rivals "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."

Personally it’s been a very positive launch, very low key but it really is make or break time at Toyota. The new car has hints of TF104B put in, the front wing for starters has area’s improved a pone for this season’s new regulations, and the engine should be one of the most reliable on the grid. It also looks good, although from a distance it looks like last years Christmas pudding, its grown up over the years and as its just getting over its teen’s should start to pull out results expected from this sort of manufacture. The only question is will it live up to expectations, and if it doesn’t score at lest 3 podiums finishes this season, I think I’ll walk the distance from London Waterloo, to Estacio de France railway station in Barcelona.

Nicholas Sparkes

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