Toyota TF108

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Toyota TF108
Category Formula One
Constructor Toyota F1
Designer(s) Flag of France Pascal Vasselon
(Senior General Manager Chassis)
Flag of Japan Noritoshi Arai
(Director Technical Coordination)
Flag of Italy Luca Marmorini
(Senior General Manager Engine)
Technical Specifications
Chassis Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb construction monocoque
Suspension (front) Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with carbon fibre trackrod and pushrod
Suspension (rear) Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with carbon fibre trackrod and pushrod
Engine Toyota RVX-08 2398cc 19,000 RPM Limited
Transmission Toyota/WilliamsF1/Xtrac collaboration 7-speed unit plus reverse
Fuel Esso
Esso Lubricants
Tyres Bridgestone Potenza
BBS forged magnesium
Competition History
Notable entrants Panasonic Toyota Racing
Notable drivers 11. Flag of Italy Jarno Trulli
12. Flag of Germany Timo Glock
Debut 2008 Australian Grand Prix
 Races   Wins    Poles     FLs   
6 0 0 0

The Toyota TF108 is the Formula One car with which Toyota competes in the 2008 Formula One season.

Contents

[edit] Launch

Timo Glock testing the TF108 at Valencia, 01-23-2008.
Timo Glock testing the TF108 at Valencia, 01-23-2008.

The 2008 Toyota challenger the Toyota TF108 was launched on the 10th of January 2008, at team's factory in Cologne, Germany.[1]

The 2008 season will also see Jarno Trulli retained for the 2008 season, Trulli will be joined by newcomer, but not rookie, Timo Glock as the teams second driver. The Toyota test and reserve driver for the 2008 season will be 21-year-old Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi.[2]

The Toyota team let driver Ralf Schumacher go at the end of the 2007 Formula One season, Schumacher has since signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz for racing in the DTM for their 2008 Season.[3]

[edit] Technical developments

[edit] New concept design

With a new longer wheelbase to aid stability and a totally new aero package that is hoped will give the car great potential. The car is not a evolution of the previous years Toyota TF107 it has been designed from an evolution of the Toyota TF106 but with a promise of "The primary aerodynamic design philosophy for the TF108 is geared towards optimising the entire package" Pascal Vasselon the teams Chassis General Manager said.[4]

[edit] Rule changes

The car also has the new for 2008 higher headrests around the drivers head and also has the new standard McLaren Electronic Systems ECU that prevents the car having driver aids.

[edit] Changes in aerodynamics

Toyota have adopted a McLaren MP4-22-like bridge on the front wing,[5] and have also moved the rear view mirrors outboard, like Ferrari and Renault.[6] The TF108 has also had a major focus on cleaning the air flow around the front suspension, maximising the zero keel concept of the front suspension.[7]

[edit] 2008 season

Jarno Trulli driving the TF108 at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix.
Jarno Trulli driving the TF108 at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix.

[edit] 2008 testing

Timo Glock was fastest[8] in testing at Jerez on the 17th of January, whilst test driver Kamui Kobayashi was 7th fastest on the same day.

Toyota and Ferrari have been the only teams in 2008 to test outside the common test tracks in Spain (Valencia, Jerez and the Circuit de Catalunya), having chosen to test in sunnier conditions in Bahrain from the 4th to the 6th February and 9th until the 11th of February 2008.[9]

Later in the month of February, Toyota, alongside Ferrari, returned to the Circuit de Catalunya to finish off their preparations for the season opener in Melbourne. Toyota rolled out a new aero package,[10] with Pascal Vasselon saying that "The new aerodynamics package we brought here is a clear step forward". The very next day, Jarno Trulli completed the day with a time of 1.20.801, fastest overall, Red Bull-Renault driver David Coulthard was second with a time of 01:21.258 on the same day.[11]

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Points WCC
2008 Toyota F1 Toyota V8 B AUS MAL BHR ESP TUR MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN EUR BEL ITA SIN JPN CHN BRA 9* 6th*
Trulli Ret 4 6 8 10 13
Glock Ret Ret 9 11 13 12

* Season in progress

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • [1] - Toyota TF108 Technical Spec

[edit] References