2009 Panasonic Toyota TF109

Panasonic Toyota Press Release

Panasonic Toyota Racing officially began the 2009 Formula 1 season in cyberspace today with the world premiere of the team's latest car, the TF109.

The team's eighth season in Formula 1 sees major rule changes so the TF109, revealed exclusively on www.tf109-premiere.com, looked considerably different to its predecessor, featuring wider front wings and narrower rear wings among other modifications.

Today's world premiere completed an exhaustive development process which began in October 2007, when the 2009 regulations were confirmed. The TF109 begins pre-season testing on 19 January at Algarve Motor Park in Portugal.

Despite the TF109's fundamentally different appearance, Panasonic Toyota Racing's ambitious goals remain, as Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina states: "Our target this year is to fight to win the first race for Toyota in Formula 1."

The significant progress shown in 2008, when the team hit its targets of returning to the podium and significantly increasing its points total, has bred confidence.

Panasonic Toyota Racing achieved two podiums, one front row start and, with 56, scored more points than in 2006 (35pts) and 2007 (13pts) combined. A Toyota was in the top 10 on the starting grid for 14 of the 18 Grands Prix, finishing in the points 12 times, with nine top-six finishes.

President John Howett says: "We have gained a huge amount of knowledge and improved considerably. There are many elements of our team which are at the very highest level so the challenge now is to fill any gaps and ensure the entire organisation is performing at the very top. Then we must put all the elements together and deliver the success we are all fighting so hard for."

Source: Panasonic Toyota Press Releases