Having worked with Ralf Schumacher before - at Jordan in 1998 - Toyota technical director Mike Gascoyne is looking forward to renewing the partnership when the German heads to Cologne at the end of the season.

Opinion on the German six-time GP winner is divided, as Gascoyne is well aware: "The British press like to give Ralf a hard time," he told the Sunday Times. "It ain't easy being Michael's brother, and Montoya ain't the easiest team-mate. But you have to say that considering Montoya's supposed to be the dog's bollocks, there's been several weekends when Ralf has absolutely blitzed him."

In what will be Gascoyne's first full season with the Japanese team, the Englishman is aware that he and Ralf will be under close scrutiny. After a couple of difficult years at WilliamsF1, Gascoyne believes that Ralf needs the right environment in which to flourish.

"The key for us is to make the right environment for him to be consistently fast," he said. "The example I'd give is that it's a similar situation to when Heinz-Harald Frentzen left Williams, with pretty much the same reputation: moody, arrogant, inconsistent, all that bull. He came to Jordan and nearly won the world championship, which shows what sort of difference being in the right environment can make."

The "right environment" will also influence the choice of teammate, admits Gascoyne.

"We're very much aware of that when it comes to choosing a second driver," he said. "We need someone quick enough to push him without being political.

"Maybe a younger guy," he continued, "maybe one of our current drivers. After all, Olivier got on with Jacques Villeneuve at BAR, which says something. Jarno Trulli? Could be.

"Having signed Ralf, we won't be rushing into a decision."