Toyota TF108
Encyclopedia
The Toyota TF108 was a Formula One
car with which Toyota
competed in the 2008 Formula One season
.
The 2008 Toyota challenger the Toyota TF108 was launched on the 10th of January 2008, at the team's factory in Cologne, Germany.
The 2008 season saw Jarno Trulli
retained for the 2008 season, Trulli was joined by newcomer, but not rookie, Timo Glock
as the teams second driver. The Toyota test and reserve driver for the 2008 season was Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi
.
The Toyota team let driver Ralf Schumacher
go at the end of the 2007 Formula One season
, Schumacher then signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz
in the DTM
for the 2008 season
.
André Lotterer
had also tested the car during the off season.
- it had 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 team's chassis General Manager said.
ECU that prevented the car having driver aids.
Toyota and Ferrari had 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.
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, 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.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car with which Toyota
Toyota F1
Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002...
competed in the 2008 Formula One season
2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
.
Launch
The 2008 season saw Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One racing driver. He has been a regular in Formula One since 1997, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault and Toyota. He won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault, his only Grand Prix victory to date. He is known for being a qualification expert...
retained for the 2008 season, Trulli was joined by newcomer, but not rookie, Timo Glock
Timo Glock
Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship...
as the teams second driver. The Toyota test and reserve driver for the 2008 season was Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi
Kamui Kobayashi
is a Japanese racing driver. He has competed in the GP2 Series, won the GP2 Asia Series, and made his Formula One debut with Toyota in the final two races of when he replaced Timo Glock after the German was injured in a crash during qualifying for the...
.
The Toyota team let driver Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher is a German racing driver, and the younger brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher...
go at the end of the 2007 Formula One season
2007 Formula One season
The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the...
, Schumacher then signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz in motorsport
Throughout its long history, Mercedes-Benz has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sportscar racing and rallying, and is currently active in Formula Three, DTM and Formula One.-Early history:...
in the DTM
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
for the 2008 season
2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season
The 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season was the ninth season of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000. The series began on April 13 at the Hockenheimring and finished on October 26 at the same venue, after eleven rounds...
.
André Lotterer
André Lotterer
André Lotterer is a German auto racing driver.- Racing career :Lotterer succeeded in both German and British Formula 3 championships en route to being named Jaguar Racing's Formula One test driver in 2002...
had also tested the car during the off season.
New concept design
With a new longer wheelbase to aid stability and a totally new aero package that had hoped to give the car great potential. The car was not an evolution of the previous years Toyota TF107Toyota TF107
The Toyota TF107 is the car with which the Toyota team competed in the Formula One season.-Aerodynamics:The main changes in comparison to its predecessor, the TF106B were aerodynamic. The position of the engine was moved forward by 100 mm, meaning that the chassis tub was shorter...
- it had been designed from an evolution of the Toyota TF106
Toyota TF106
The Toyota TF106/TF106B is a Formula One car designed by Mike Gascoyne for the 2006 Formula One season. The car is an evolution of the previous year's TF105. The team began testing the car in November 2005, months earlier than any other team.-2006 season:...
, but with a promise of "The primary aerodynamic design philosophy for the TF108 is geared towards optimising the entire package" Pascal Vasselon, the team's chassis General Manager said.
Rule changes
The car also had the new for 2008 higher headrests around the drivers head and also had the new standard McLaren Electronic SystemsMcLaren Electronic Systems
McLaren Electronic Systems is a member of the McLaren Group that controls Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, a Formula One racing team and constructor....
ECU that prevented the car having driver aids.
Changes in aerodynamics
Toyota had adopted a McLaren MP4-22-like bridge on the front wing, and have also moved the rear view mirrors outboard, like Ferrari and Renault. The TF108 had also had a major focus on cleaning the air flow around the front suspension, maximising the zero keel concept of the front suspension.Alternative liveries
- At the 2008 French Grand Prix2008 French Grand PrixThe 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 22, 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. This race is the last French Grand Prix. It was the eighth race of the 2008 Formula One season...
the car ran with a black stripe along the nosecone, to commemorate the life of former Toyota F1Toyota F1Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002...
boss, Ove AnderssonOve AnderssonOve Andersson was a Swedish rally driver and the first head of Toyota's F1 program. His nickname was "Påven" .-Early life:...
, who had died earlier that month.
- At the 2008 British Grand Prix2008 British Grand PrixThe 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 July 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth...
, the car ran with a special Batman livery. The team signed a deal with Warner Brothers to promote the new film, The Dark KnightThe Dark Knight (film)The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, which was released on July 25.
2008 testing
Timo Glock was fastest in testing at Jerez on the 17th of January, whilst test driver Kamui Kobayashi was 7th fastest on the same day.Toyota and Ferrari had been the only teams in 2008 to test outside the common test tracks in Spain (Valencia
Circuit de Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as Circuit de Valencia and officially named Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, is a motorsport race track located in Cheste and built in 1999. It has a capacity of 120,000 spectators and seating for 60,000...
, Jerez
Circuito Permanente de Jerez
Circuito de Jerez , formerly known as Circuito Permanente de Jerez, is a 4,428 m racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the sherry-producing south of Spain...
and the Circuit de Catalunya
Circuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit.-History:...
), having chosen to test in sunnier conditions in Bahrain from the 4th to the 6th February and 9th until the 11th of February 2008.
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
2008 Australian Grand Prix
The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
. Toyota rolled out a new aero package, 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
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
-Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
driver David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
was second with a time of 01:21.258 on the same day.
Complete Formula One results
(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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota F1 Toyota F1 Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002... |
Toyota Toyota F1 Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in F1 in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
AUS 2008 Australian Grand Prix The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after... |
MAL 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix The 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 23, 2008 at the Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia. It was the 2nd race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting... |
BHR 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix The 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 6, 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team... |
ESP 2008 Spanish Grand Prix The 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 27, 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 66 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from pole position... |
TUR 2008 Turkish Grand Prix The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 11, 2008 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit, Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fifth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole... |
MON 2008 Monaco Grand Prix The 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 25, 2008, at the Circuit de Monaco; contested over 76 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race was won by the season's eventual Drivers' Champion, Lewis Hamilton, for the McLaren team... |
CAN 2008 Canadian Grand Prix The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 8, 2008 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada. It was the 7th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Robert Kubica for the BMW Sauber team after starting from... |
FRA 2008 French Grand Prix The 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 22, 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. This race is the last French Grand Prix. It was the eighth race of the 2008 Formula One season... |
GBR 2008 British Grand Prix The 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 July 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth... |
GER 2008 German Grand Prix The 2008 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season and was contested over 67 laps. It was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole... |
HUN 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 3, 2008, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One season. Contested over 70 laps, the race was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team, from a second... |
EUR 2008 European Grand Prix The 2008 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 24, 2008 at the Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia, Spain. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole... |
BEL 2008 Belgian Grand Prix The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 7, 2008, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 13th race of the 2008 Formula One season... |
ITA 2008 Italian Grand Prix The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 14, 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team after starting... |
SIN 2008 Singapore Grand Prix The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, formally known as the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One race held on 28 September 2008 at the newly built Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore... |
JPN 2008 Japanese Grand Prix The 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 2008, at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan. It was the 16th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Fernando Alonso for the Renault team from fourth position on the starting... |
CHN 2008 Chinese Grand Prix The 2008 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. It was the 17th and penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after... |
BRA 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 2, 2008, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18th and final race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa... |
56 | 5th | |||
| Trulli Jarno Trulli Jarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One racing driver. He has been a regular in Formula One since 1997, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault and Toyota. He won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault, his only Grand Prix victory to date. He is known for being a qualification expert... |
Ret | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 13 | Ret | 5 | Ret | 8 | ||||||
| Glock Timo Glock Timo Glock is a German motor racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for the Virgin Racing team. At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, standing in for Giorgio Pantano who had a contract dispute with Jordan Grand Prix, he joined a select group of drivers who have scored a World Championship... |
Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 12 | Ret | 2 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 4 | Ret | 7 | 6 |