http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71510



I hope their car is better than 2008, maybe moving closer to front runners. They need to break free from mid-pack.

Yep them and just about all the other mid fielders Considering the amount of money spent on their behalf you would expect better things next year. But everyone really is trying to use the new regs to their advantage next season. Perhaps by being the first to actually announce a launch date would mean they're more or less on schedule, which in itself is a good sign.

Toyota plan to start the season with a non KERS car.

It might not make much difference to car performance as the weight distribution with KERS is not the best for the slick tyres.

The difference between a car with KERS and one without is about 3 tenths right?

Anyway
Hope they can make a better car with the money they got from McLaren...
No I'm kidding

Assuming the KERS works properly, and that the gain is not outweighed by not being able to ballast the car properly.

The thing is that some tracks will make KERS more important, the others less. For instance. Tracks with long straights and big braking zones are likely to favout those with KERS, whereas tracks like Monaco and Singapore will favour those with a better weight distribution.

Imagine on a track like Sakhir... Just afer the last corner and the wheelspin is off you just jamm on the button and instantly gain 6.8 seconds of a full 80 bhp more which is an increase of more than 10% in power... That makes the car ahead of you a total easy pray...

Putting this into account, I can see cars without KERS doing very well in qual, ehere no overtaking is required, wheres cars with KERS will do better in the race.

And I see a very dark 2009 for the TF109 and the Toyota team.

I'll have to wait and see it in action. At the moment I think it's use is limited and that the majority of teams will gain more by getting their chassis and aero right.

To be honest i was expecting Toyota to be one of the leading teams with KERS like Honda, so its a bit of a surprise that they'll be starting behind some of the others.

It could be the case they want to develop a very light KERS system since they want to place a lot more forward weight into the car for better tyre performance.

Toyota will test on the 10th, 11th and 12th, 15th, 16th and 17th of December in Bahrain. Ferrari won't go there.

Quite typical they asked/demanded Nakajima to come over to Fuji to celebrate the Toyota Motor Sports Festival.

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?p...6134&catID=3767

Thanks AFCA, that would make a good caption pic

Do you know if it's possible for Toyota to use Nakajima as their own driver, possibly in 2010 with Glock? Or is Kobayashi considered the better of the two?

At this rate it will be Kunimoto!

The head of the team is the ex-Michelin guy. With his tyre background, maybe they actually think KERS will be slower? And that to make it useful, a super light power back up technology is mandatory? As to why 4 months would provide such a lighter technology, I have no idea. Unless they are building a separate car. Which is what Honda said last year they were going to have - a KERS car and a non KERS car. Which makes sense really. Bring the non KERS car to Monaco I guess. Don't bring it to Monza.

Well THAT's gonna save a lot of money. Thanx Max.

Toyota will 'launch' its car by releasing pictures and video's. There won't be a real presentation willing to save money.

The first testsession of the TF109 is to be held at Portimao on the 20-22th of January.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/article...-toyota-f1.html

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21054.html

>>

A Toyota spokesperson about this rumour: ''I have no idea where this idea is coming from. Jarno will be with us next year, there's no doubt about that. We're not aware of problems with the Toyota Driver Programma either. That's completely being run by our collegues in Japan but we haven't heard anything about changes yet.''

Thanks AFCA, I saw that rumour, good to hear the Toyota response.

With increasing financial crisis it is becoming more and more possible that KERS will not be run in 2009, will be banned or will be banned by FIA after a few races after someone has dominated. Do not write Toyota off just yet - they may have made the right gamble. And if it will be banned, Toyota will have a major advantage as they are the only ones, who have not concentrated on KERS.

The FIA won't be banning a system that's not only legal but encouraged. KERS isn't a loophole that some teams are exploiting like mass dampers, flexi-wings, third pedals or x-wings were.

If for example McLaren laps 1 sec a lap quicker in the first couple of races than anyone else, are you sure FIA won't try to do ANYTHING to spice up the show? Especially after all those promises that in 2009 we would finally see some great and proper racing again.

Of course they won't. The new rules weren't designed to close the field up, just make it easier for cars to follow one another.

Toyota did some KERS work in Bahrain, they didn't run a KERS system but did some work to see how the car would work with a KERS system, probably something to do with weight distribution.
Aren't they suppose to be testing it next month?

I think it's smart to not rush with KERS, because there are a lot more gains to be made in aerodynamics at this stage of the rule changes. KERS helps you 3 tenths - if you have it in the car and you use it. If you dont have it, it's not such a dissadvantage, except when you are becoming overtaken.

I can't remember where I read it but the team said 95% of KERS testing can be done at the factory, I suppose that mean simulations, reliability testing etc.

The team are aiming for 100% reliability in 2009, we can believe when we see it.

That explains why Williams tested KERS only one day at Jerez in the last 2 months, they're working on it at the factory now they have data

I notice it is the 15th not the 16th of January for launch day....

http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/en/index_e.html

Although Toyota wasn't really making comparisons and although the track conditions were completely different compared to how they were during the GP this year, Toyota has been faster (with slick tyres, new front and reawings, all the aerodynamic bits and bobs taken off but the 2008 diffusor still on) at the Manama circuit in December than they were back in April.

Glock on the loss of aerodynamic downforce: ''When you brake you notice there are less aerodynamic aids, there's simply less downforce. Due to this the car becomes more nervous. Coming out of a corner the traction is an issue as well. In second and third gear you have to handle the accelerator cautiously.''

On slicks (actually being faster in slow corners) : ''Because you can brake very late into a corner with slick tyres, you compensate a lot of the aerodynamic disadvantage. 20 to 30 %. Also whilst accelerating because you have a greater contact patch.''

However, the slicks pose new challenges as well: ''Once the grip is decreasing it happens a lot more abruptly. You more quickly have spinning wheels and suddenly occuring oversteer as well. On the other hand you create a lot more feeling for the tyres, they clearly give me more feedback.''

Glock is doubtful whether we'll see more overtaking this year: ''Because you can brake so late into a corner, from the entrance to the middle of it you can still choose your racing line in such a way that the driver behind you cannot try to make an overtaking manoeuvre.''

Thanks, good update

toyota launch can be viewed at

http://www.tf109-premiere.com/

That graphic is cool, even if it's a bit cheesy.

looks like a sneak peek of the new car with a batman looking resemblance

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/1/8830.html

Seems very fan friendly.

Only 33 posts for Toyota

The most exciting super team in F1

It will be interesting to see how much radical and innovate the Toyota is over the Ferrari (or McLaren), and how much more downforce, better handling and more horsepower it has That should take them to some race wins and maybe the title

The 07 Toyota, dispite it's blistering podium runs on merit, seems a little conservative, but it looks like very radical aero will be needed to extract the downforce on the simplified cars, hopefully Toyota will be sufficiently innovate and thereby superior to Ferrari and others, and go and get those wins they are after

I wonder if Toyota might do something with their livery for a change? Here's hoping!

I suspect it will have a livery similar to the TF108.

Trulli last month: "I can't say anything about the car yet, but I know there will be some very interesting new things."

Whether we see them is another thing.

Looking forward to the launch in 11 hours.

I think that they can only gain from the rule changes. The car will be new and they might get it right and have car that is capable of winning. But then again from these changes nothing is sure until they all start testing together.

Nothing is sure until they start racing each other. Then, and only then, will we know the true story.

very true...but 73 days till melbourne gp is too long, in the mean time testing can atleast give indication of performance

I've seen too many false promises to get overly excited about testing. I'll watch with interest, but will wait for the racing to start.

i heard that the livery will be slightly different..

I am very curious!

That teaser pic is fake, look at the front wing, 2008 style

I'm excited, haven't heard much about Toyota this off season new car wise. With the enw rules, every car launch is intriguing!

it has an airbox wing too

Toyota should be a winning team some season.

They should keep the livery the same.

Would the Marlboro Penske or Marlboro McLarens liveries be famous if they were changed every season Would the officially yellow Ferrari's choice of the non-FIA-required Italian racing red be famous, if they raced some years in blue, some in green... Would Subaru's yellow and blue be famous if changed every year

Liveries have to be in place for 5-10 for brand recognition with the more casual fan who see the odd news story. Obviously winning helps.

Look at Scooby, they scrapped the famous blue and yellow, and scrapped trying to win races for many seasons -> pull out from the WRC!

Teaser? It's just a silhouette of a car, any car for that matter!

Translated Q&A with Trulli:

Q: After Honda, Subaru, Suzuki and Kawasaki have all withdrawn from a form of motorsport, did you fear the same would happen with Toyota ?
Trulli: ''Toyota's message has been very clear: they will go on in F1 but there's a great responsability on all of us in bringing home the first victory which could be decisive factor for the future.''

Q: And on which track would you like that to happen ?
Trulli: ''That's not important, what matters is that it happens in one of the first six races.''

Q: You're 34 years old, is the will and motivation still there ?
Trulli: ''I feel like a little boy on his first day at school. The will to do well is there and and all you have to look for in a driver is its speed: I have a lot of passion and I want to be the one presenting Toyota with their first victory. The time for Jarno to be a full time businessman has not yet arrived.''

Q: Talking about business, has your wine company been affected by the financial crisis ?
Trulli: ''Fortunately not, since it started it has only increased its turnover and has entered new markets. I hope to go on like this.''

Q: You've already seen the new car what do you think of it ?
Trulli: ''It's nice. I'd say that, considering the regulations, we've done a great job in terms of aesthetics. And then we obviously hope it's as fast on track.''

Q: Slick tyres, KERS, reduced aerodynamics: does something change in the driving style of the drivers ?
Trulli: ''Perhaps the cars will be a bit 'lighter' to drive.''

Q: And what about KERS ?
Trulli: ''We still have to find out about it. We don't yet know its strong and weak points.''

Q: Is it true you will only start using it at some point during the season ?
Trulli: ''I only know that it's there, that it works and that it's ready to go into the car but I can't tell when it will be used.''

Q: Isn't it better to have it in the car straight away ?
Trulli: ''Certainly because it's something that will be developed and to do that you need great investments, I don't know who will be able to use at the first race in an efficient and reliable way. So having it could turn out to be a a double-edged weapon.''

Q: Fisichella and you are the only two drivers having contested Grand Prix' with slick tyres: could it be an advantage ?
Trulli: ''It are certainly the tyres that I prefer, they are the right ones to race with.''

Q: Will the title fight still be between Ferrari and McLaren, or could another team have their say due to all the changes in place ?
Trulli: ''I think that the pecking order will not be a definite one, at least not till the first Grand Prix. A lot of things have changed in the regulations and some of them are still not really clear. It will be a season different from all the others.''

Q: There are still talks going on about the qualifying format and whether to award points or medals: what's your take on these things ?
Trulli: ''Instead of wasting energy on things that don't matter, we'd rather have to think about ways of managing Formula 1 in a better way, cutting the costs. Today we have to think about how to survive rather than how to be nice.''

Q: What would you do then ?
Trulli: ''It's hard giving an answer because as a driver I'm only familiar with certain aspects, but I find it irrational to increase the costs of the superlicense by 200 %.''

BUMP!

4 minutes.

Link once again