A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
As you might have read in my newsarticle: http://www.f1technical.net/news/7931
Tomba is at Cologne today for the launch event of Toyota. As soon as he gets back from there, more pictures and interviews will come online on our site. So please keep checking the site out during the course of the day.
Belatti wrote:It calls my attention how abrupt does the head sides protectors begin.
I wonder if they had to do that because the mirrors are mouted so far out, otherwise the head propector would have obscured the view. I wonder if that will change as i bet they will get even more vibration in the mirrors than usual there.
I agree, looks like they will have to add some support for those mirrors. Maybe something like what Renault was using on the R-27.
Sidepods look much better now, as well as the bardge boards complex which looks a bit complex.
Pictures can be found in our gallery and other information in our newssection. Pictures taken by Tomba and interviews conducted by him will be online tonight!
I am at the launch, big chnages a foot at toyota, very mclaren like around the front
longer wheelbase, mad eup in different areas, not just one place
New nose, lower tip with the bridge wing run over the tip.
slightly lower front bulkhead
Mac-like bargeboards sprouting from keel
Revised front upper wishbones no longer curved
large main boards with Mac like curve at end
undercut sidepods, slimmer at rear
Large pod wings with novel mirror position
Coolers now placed McLaren like (tipped forward) inside pods
Slim engine cover spine with fins to meet toblerone rule
Shelf wing between rear wheel flip ups
Similar suspension geomtry to last year
Tomba doesn't have his computer with him. At the moment he should be in the press conference room for the interview with Trulli and Glock and normally he has a red backpack with him
I'm stunned, I was expecting another "continued deveolpment" of last years p.o.s, but insted in the TF108 I see the first Toyota F1 car that I really like the look of, there's not many overly complex looking bits, few additional winglets protruding from every surface imaginable - to me that's a big thing, when a car is covered in winglets I see it as a desperate attempt to add to, or improve the quality or position of the (lack) of downforce being generated by the basic design.
But insted we see a nice, clean, almost "back to basics" design. If the car is mechanically sound I think this could be Toyota's big break. I'm not talking championships...but results which more reflect their budget & status as a manufacturer.
Bit I really like are:
The whole nose & Front wing assembly (especially the FW endplates - look at the from head on)
And the bargeboard arrangement.
Here's hoping for a good year for them - I really hope they nail it.
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.
Hmmm, I am a great Toyota fun, and have been skeptical about today's launch, as last year and the year before that were major kills to my hopes for the team, as you said they seemed to be trying so hard to fix something faulty.
Now I am a bit encouraged by the semi-'fresh-start' approach... I can only hope.