Panasonic Toyota Racing is set to kick-start 2006 season preparations by testing the first phase of its 2006 race car, the TF106, during a four-day session due to commence at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Tuesday.

Renowned for its early car launches, Toyota has raised the standards yet again by unleashing its 2006 race car over three months before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, which is scheduled for 12 March. Technical Director Chassis Mike Gascoyne believes such a head start could offer the Cologne-based team a significant time advantage over its rivals ahead of the winter holiday period.

"We have been working on the TF106 since the end of 2004," Gascoyne reveals, "and the introduction of this car at such an early stage is a true testament to the work of the team and shows that we are able to react and push forward at a rate that is necessary to be at the forefront of Formula 1."

The TF106 marries a brand new rear end, designed to accommodate Toyota's latest specification V8 engine, with a development of the monocoque and front suspension of its pole-setting, podium-scoring TF105B interim car that was brought in for the final two races of the 2005 season.

"The TF106 that will run in Barcelona marks the first stage of development for this car with continuous improvements planned in the run-up to the first race. We are adopting a similar schedule to last season by testing the car early. This allows us to develop the mechanical side of car thoroughly before we introduce a new aero package in time for the first race. This strategy helped us to be extremely competitive at the start 2005 and we are confident the same will happen in 2006."

"The front end of the TF106 is an evolution of our TF105B that raced in Japan and China, but the major design change for 2006 has been the implementation of the V8 engine in line with the new technical regulations, which has resulted in the redesign of the rear end," added Gascoyne.

Panasonic Toyota Racing experienced just one engine retirement over 19 race weekends in 2005, an impressive statistic given the increase to two-race reliability demands for last season. Such an enviable record, coupled with the strong performance of Toyota's V10 in its comparatively short F1 history, have provided invaluable foundations for development of the V8 power unit according to Technical Director Engine Luca Marmorini.

"With such strenuous reliability rules, we cannot afford to make jumps in the dark," explains Marmorini. "We cannot compromise the performance of the engine, so we have concentrated on reducing the performance loss. We have a strong core team of engine engineers here at Toyota, built up from six years of F1 engine development. This impassioned teamwork is our advantage and our strongest asset."

Mike Gascoyne is quick to back up his engine counterpart: "Luca and his team have done an exceptional job, which has had a positive knock-on effect for the chassis department, a benefit enhanced by being based at the same factory, under the same roof. Having a pair of TF106s at our disposal for winter testing means that the development of our mechanical package will be significantly advanced."

The new Toyota RVX-06 V8 engine was testbenched for the first time on 21 March 2005, one day after the team scored its debut podium finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Since its first track run at the end of July, the V8 has completed 291 laps over eight separate days, a distance of 2,143km.