Formula One news

Toyota springs 2006 car surprise

Toyota TF106

Toyota surprised the F1 paddock today announcing the launch of its 2006 car, the TF106. The team will run the new car in this week's first major winter test at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. The new car will debut on Tuesday - the first day of a four-day test.

Toyota TF106

Renowned for its early car launches, Toyota has raised the standards yet again by unleashing its 2006 race car over three months before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, which is scheduled for 12 March. Technical director chassis Mike Gascoyne believes such a head start could offer the Cologne-based team a significant time advantage over its rivals ahead of the winter holiday period.

"We have been working on the TF106 since the end of 2004," Gascoyne reveals, "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 1."

Toyota TF106

The TF106 marries a brand new rear end, designed to accommodate Toyota's latest specification V8 engine, with a development of the monocoque and front suspension of its pole-setting, podium-scoring TF105B interim car that was brought in for the final two races of the 2005 season.

"The TF106 that will run in Barcelona marks the first stage of development for this car with continuous improvements planned in the run-up to the first race. We are adopting a similar schedule to last season by testing the car early. 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.

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