Toyota TF103
{{Short description|Formula One car}}
{{Racing car |
Car_name = Toyota TF103 |
Image = File:Olivier Panis 2003 Silverstone.jpg|
Caption=Olivier Panis driving the TF103 at the 2003 British Grand Prix|
Category = Formula One |
Constructor = Toyota |
Designer = Keizo Takahashi {{smaller|(Technical Director)}}
Gustav Brunner {{smaller|(Chief Designer)}}
{{ill|René Hilhorst|ja|ルネ・ヒルホルスト}} {{smaller|(Head of Aerodynamics)}} |
Predecessor = TF102 |
Successor = TF104 |
Team = Panasonic Toyota Racing |
Drivers = 20. {{flagicon|France}} Olivier Panis
21. {{flagicon|Brazil}} Cristiano da Matta
|
Chassis = carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque |
Front suspension = Pushrod with Torsion bar |
Rear suspension = Pushrod with Torsion bar |
Engine name = Toyota RVX-03 |
Capacity = 3.0-litre |
Configuration = 72-degree V10 |
Turbo/NA = naturally-aspirated|
Engine position = mid-engined |
Power = 845 hp @ 18,400 rpmstatsf1.com/en/moteur-toyota.aspx |
Gearbox name = Toyota |
Gears = 7-speed, |
Type = semi-automatic |
Differential = |
Fuel = Esso |
Tyres = Michelin |
Debut = 2003 Australian Grand Prix |
Last_event=2003 Japanese Grand Prix|
Races = 16|
Wins = 0|
Cons_champ = 0|
Drivers_champ = 0|
Poles = 0|
Fastest_laps = 0|
}}
Image:Toyota F1 steering wheel.jpg
File:Toyota TF103 2.jpg on 6 July 2004]]
The Toyota TF103 was the car with which the Toyota F1 team competed in the 2003 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Gustav Brunner and René Hilhorst with Luca Marmorini designing the engine. Unveiled on January 8, 2003 at the Paul Ricard circuit, its drivers were the Frenchman Olivier Panis and Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, the reigning CART FedEx Championship Series Champion from 2002.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/aug/28/formulaone.formulaone20021|work=The Guardian|date=28 August 2002|access-date=9 June 2023|title=Panis joins Toyota as McNish loses seat}}{{Cite news|url=https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/toyotaf1-sign-up-cart-champion-da-matta/1006462/|title=ToyotaF1 sign up CART champion da Matta|work=Motorsport.com|date=5 November 2002|access-date=9 June 2023}}
Development
The TF103 was quite a conservative design, by the team's admission it was more of a 'logical evolution' from its predecessor the TF102. Lighter and with more downforce, the car was a joint effort between Gustav Brunner's design team and Keizo Takahashi, chief of Technical co-ordination.
The biggest improvement over the TF102 came with the engine, the RVX-03 had been tested for the first time in September 2002 and offered the team benefits twofold over the RVX-02; it was lighter, and provided more power. The engine was the brainchild of Italian designer Luca Marmorini.{{Cite news|url=https://au.motorsport.com/f1/news/toyota-launch-the-tf103/1013059/|work=Motorsport.com|date=10 January 2003|access-date=9 June 2023|title=Toyota launch the TF103}}
Performance
File:Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta 2003 Silverstone.jpg, where the Toyota cars briefly held a 1-2 lead]]
The TF103 stepped up a level in terms of performance too, with the car scoring a total of sixteen points between its drivers, da Matta outscoring Panis 10-6. Perhaps the most notable race involving the TF103 was at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix when both cars ran 1-2 for a time amidst the confusion brought about by a track invader on the 11th lap.{{Cite news|url=https://au.motorsport.com/f1/news/british-gp-toyota-race-notes-2003-07-21/1057683/|work=Motorsport.com|date=20 July 2003|access-date=9 June 2023|title=British GP: Toyota race notes}}
In the constructors standings, Toyota finished in eighth, still some way off the performance their massive budget should have allowed, but equally too, it was a notable improvement on their 2002 finish.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2003/team.html|title=2003 Constructor Standings|work=Formula 1|access-date=9 June 2023}}
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Tyres ! Drivers ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! Points ! WCC |
| rowspan="3"| 2003
| rowspan="3"| TF103 | rowspan="3"| Toyota RVX-03 V10 | rowspan="3"| {{Michelin}} | | AUS | MAL | BRA | SMR | ESP | AUT | MON | CAN | EUR | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | ITA | USA | JPN ! rowspan="3"| 16 ! rowspan="3"| 8th |
|---|
| {{flagicon|FRA}} Olivier Panis
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 8 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 8 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10 |
| {{flagicon|BRA}} Cristiano da Matta
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 12 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 10 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 9 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 7 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070804050325/http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/en/motorsports/evolution/tf103.html TF103 Evolution at Toyota F1 official site]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008010607/http://www.f1db.com/tiki-index.php?page=Toyota+TF103+(nl) TF103 Facts at f1db.com]
{{Toyota F1}}
{{F1 cars 2003}}