Automobile Blog

Toyota takes its first big gamble in Formula One

Toyota is taking its first big gamble in Formula One, unveiling a radical new car at its German racing headquarters yesterday. Since joining the grand prix circuit in 2002, the Japanese team has had a steady design evolution of its cars but the TF108 is a radical departure.

And it could be just in time to save the under-performing squad which has failed to live up to the same level of success Toyota has shown in the road car market. Yet at the launch of the new Toyota TF108, staged in the team’s racing headquarters on the outskirts of Cologne, Glock and Trulli were put starkly on notice by Tadashi Yamashina, the team principal, that they will be expected to work harder than ever in the quest for results.

Last season the team were well off the pace of leading manufacturers Ferrari and McLaren - who this week also unwrapped their new cars - and are still without a win in 104 Grand Prix races. The last two seasons have been hugely disappointing after promising results in 2005 when Toyota achieved three podiums and a pole position.

Team principal Tadashi Yamashina said the team need to take make “a great improvement” on 2007 when they garnered just 13 points. “We are in Formula 1 to win, so we want to do this soon,” he said ahead of the launch. “The drivers should be aiming to finish in the points regularly and challenging for podiums.”

Yamashina has said Toyota may pull out of F1 altogether unless the team can start producing results over the next two years. The team hopes the TF108, which has a longer wheelbase, a major aerodynamic upgrade, revised suspension and a new gearbox, will revive fortunes. The key features of the new TF108 are a longer wheelbase, a major aerodynamic upgrade, revised suspension and a new gearbox.