| As the current Formula 1 season unfolds, Toyota | | | | view quite a lot changed at the race and in terms |
| has set its eye to overtake BMW and become | | | | of performance with one car we were another |
| the third fastest team. The team is currently | | | | step closer to the top, even compared to |
| competing in a tight race against teams such as | | | | Malaysia. With Ralf (Schumacher) we were not as |
| Renault, Red Bull, and Williams. Team President | | | | quick as we would have liked and we clearly have |
| John Howett is confident that his team has what | | | | to review some of the set-up guidelines. At some |
| it takes to pull away from the said teams and | | | | places, such as Bahrain, some of those recent |
| compete with the German team. The | | | | guidelines are simply not working." Currently, Jarno |
| announcement came as the Barcelona Grand Prix | | | | Trulli, one of Toyota's drivers, is number eight on |
| approaches. To date, the team has had | | | | the driver's championship with four points to his |
| considerable successes but needs podium finishes | | | | credit. Ralf Schumacher, another Toyota driver, |
| to become a strong contender to BMW. Howett | | | | sits at the eleventh spot with a single point to his |
| maintained that their goal for the season is to | | | | credit. As a team, Toyota sits on fifth with five |
| continue what they have been doing in order to | | | | points to their credit as the team they are trying |
| maintain their current standing as one of the top | | | | to overtake; BMW Sauber is occupying the third |
| teams in the second group. He also pointed out | | | | spot. Currently leading the field in the constructor's |
| that they have to be able to prevent slipping | | | | championship is the team of McLaren-Mercedes |
| down the rankings. Howett said that the team has | | | | with 44 points. Ferrari sits at second with 39 |
| gone a long distance since they have joined the | | | | points. BMW Sauber has 18 points and Renault sits |
| F1 melee. "It's clear from last year that we can | | | | at fourth with nine points. Aside from these five |
| make major improvements in performance over | | | | teams, the only other team to have gained points |
| a season after we moved from a pretty slow | | | | for the season is Williams-Toyota with two points |
| start to a competitive position at the end of the | | | | and is currently owning the sixth place. The next |
| year," he said. Howett expressed his confidence | | | | race this season will be in Barcelona and that race |
| on his team to perform well for the remainder of | | | | will show if Toyota can be a strong contender for |
| the season although he maintained that they will | | | | BMW Sauber which fields cars with high |
| be up against some strong teams. "We are | | | | performance that one can see in a BMW car |
| intending to do exactly the same this year but | | | | equipped with high performance engines and |
| we are acutely aware there are another four, | | | | reliable auto parts such as BMW alternators, |
| five or six teams out there trying to do exactly | | | | starting motor, spark plugs, and the like. Vasselon |
| the same," said Howett. "It is a motivating | | | | explained what their team will do as they go to |
| challenge for the people here to do it again and to | | | | Barcelona for the next race. "Having time after |
| show we are an emerging and serious challenger | | | | the first race gave us the opportunity to prepare |
| on the F1 grid," he added further. Meanwhile, | | | | quite a large aerodynamic upgrade. We will come |
| Toyota's Senior General Manager Pascal Vasselon | | | | to Barcelona with a new engine cover, a new |
| talks about his expectations for the team at the | | | | floor and new rear crash area. It was quite a lot |
| upcoming Barcelona Grand Prix. Vasselon also | | | | of work and we went through another |
| reflected on team Toyota's accomplishment at | | | | homologation of the rear crash site," says |
| the Bahrain Grand Prix. He explained how the race | | | | Vasselon. "Barcelona for us does correspond to a |
| has gone for the team. "On the one hand it was a | | | | significant upgrade of our aero package," he |
| better race for us than expected," he says. | | | | added further. As far as challenging BMW for the |
| "People may remember that in Bahrain testing we | | | | third spot, Vasselon has this to say: "There is a |
| were not looking so good. In fact there were | | | | trend developing for us. We have been |
| some obvious explanations, the first one being | | | | progressing in terms of qualifying speed for the |
| that we had quite a few small reliability issues that | | | | first three races and in Bahrain we were clearly |
| just prevented us from running. When you don't | | | | the fourth fastest team with Jarno. In the second |
| get a lot of mileage you end up in a vicious circle - | | | | qualifying session, when all cars were in optimum |
| you don't develop the car, you don't evolve a | | | | low fuel configuration, Jarno was seventh quickest |
| set-up and so it goes on." He also compared the | | | | and with a 0.4s gap to Williams, which was |
| Bahrain race to the Malaysian Grand Prix saying: | | | | comfortable. The next target is to catch BMW |
| "One consequence was that we were unable to | | | | Sauber. Ferrari and McLaren is another step again, |
| run low levels of downforce. From that point of | | | | but we like a challenge! |