M O T O R S P O R T S

The post-World War II era saw Formula One racing that was as much as team versus team as country was pitted against country.  It was fairly normal for Brits to race in green, Germans in silver, and so forth. 

Of course, in today’s high-tech world of Grand Prix racing, it has become a global effort; and none is as global as Toyota’s F1 campaign.

Under the supervision of Japanese Tsutomu Tomita, the new TF104 was officially showcased at the 30,000-square meter Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) headquarters in Cologne, France.

Designed under the supervision of German Gustav Brunner, the TF104 is the most solid machine since the Japanese car company first joined the ‘fast club’ in 2000.

No front tusks, low sloping nose or extra winglets are visible.  In fact, the design is evolutionary rather than revolutionary.  Although the looks may be as radical as the other team’s, the TF104 is an all-new design with every bit redesigned and improved. 

With 90 percent of chassis performance relying solely on aerodynamics, the TF104’s design surely emphasized on the matter of improving airflow around the car.  British Technical Director Mike Gascoyne reiterated that consistency rather than speed was the key with the TF104.  The team spent countless hours in the company’s own 50 percent scale wind tunnel honing each part for a cohesive product.

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