JANUARY 8, 2003

Toyota unveils the TF103

The Panasonic Toyota Racing team unveiled its new TF103 contender at Paul Ricard this morning. The car, as expected, is a development of the TF102 but is lighter, generates more downforce and is much more aerodynamically efficient than its sometimes difficult forerunner. The TF103 is the work of a chassis design team led by Gustav Brunner under the management of Keizo Takahashi.

"We have made gains with this car in every area," said Brunner. "I hope that we have come up with a good compromise between building a fast car, but also a reliable one."

The new RVX-03 V10 engine is both lighter and more powerful than last year's Toyota V10 which impressed many in F1. The engine has already been tested and is showing well.

"I would like to see us challenging competitively for points on a regular basis in 2003," said team principal, Ove Andersson. "It is an ambitious target, but we have to aim high this year because we are no longer the new kids on the block. It is what everyone expects from Toyota as the world's third largest car manufacturer and we will do our utmost to achieve this goal."