TF104 set for a complete overhaul

Toyota technical director Mike Gascoyne has seen enough. After just one race, Gascoyne says Toyota will embark on a complete overhaul of its 2004 car, 52 days after the TF104 was officially launched.

At the team launch in January, officials said that every part of the new TF104 had been redesigned and improved. But following a difficult testing period and a disappointing result in the season opening race last weekend, Gascoyne has come up with a list of deficiencies which need to be addressed.

"We've already got several new parts for Malaysia and there will be a total repackaging of the car in time for Imola," he tells Britain's Motorsport News.

"We haven't concentrated enough on getting weight low in this car and that's what we'll be addressing. We're also planning an even bigger update for Silverstone."

Gascoyne joined Toyota from Renault last winter but it was too late for his influence to be felt in the 2004 car.

Toyota, which is in its third season in Formula One, has one of the biggest budgets in the sport, believed to be second only to Ferrari.

While the team has targeted point scoring finishes in every race this year and possibly a podium finish, driver's Cristiano da Matta and Olivier Panis said that isn't likely to happen with the current version of the TF104.

"The car's performance was not good at all but at least we are under no illusions now," said da Matta following his 12th place finish in Australia.

"We are far away from the top teams and there is a long road in front of us," added Panis after finishing 13th.

While the duo managed to finish ahead of the likes of Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren and Jaguar's Mark Webber and both Sauber cars, they were each lapped twice by Michael Schumacher's winning Ferrari. (TSN)