Technical Specifications: TF108

Monocoque	Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb construction
Fuel tank	ATL safety cell
Suspension	Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with carbon fibre trackrod and pushrod.
Dampers	Penske
Wheels	BBS forged magnesium
Tyres	Bridgestone Potenza
Brakes	Brembo callipers and master cylinders, Hitco material (carbon/carbon)
Steering	Toyota power-assisted steering. Toyota carbon fibre steering wheel with Toyota / Magneti Marelli
	instruments
Driver's seat	Carbon fibre
Restraints	Takata
HANS device	Hubbard-Downing
Electronics	Toyota, Magneti Marelli plus McLaren Electronics Systems ECU (as required by FIA rules)
Transmission	7-speed unit plus reverse
Overall length	4636mm
Overall height	950mm
Overall width	1800mm
Overall weight	605kg including driver and camera

RVX-08 Technical Specifications

Cylinders	8
Capacity	2,398cc
Horsepower	Approximately 740bhp
Revolutions	Maximum 19,000rpm (as required by FIA rules)
Valve actuation	Pneumatic
Throttle actuation	Hydraulic
Spark Plugs	DENSO
Fuel	Esso
Lubricants	Esso

Toyota F1 statements:

The TF108 is the result of a year’s hard work from Panasonic Toyota Racing and represents a significant step forward in several areas. Important lessons have been learnt from a difficult 2007 season and these have been integrated into the TF108, which carries the team’s hopes for its seventh season in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Toyota’s challenging spirit and determination to meet ambitious targets has played a key part in the evolution of the TF108, with key features of the new car being a longer wheelbase, a major aerodynamic upgrade, revised suspension and a new gearbox. Wind tunnel tests and simulations show the TF108 is a marked improvement on its predecessor and the team expects to move closer to its long-term aim of winning races and fighting for the World Championship. Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina says: “Of course, our ultimate target is the middle step of the podium – we are in Formula 1 to win and we want to do that soon. Our clear target in 2008 is to make a big improvement in our results because we were not satisfied
with our performance last year. We expect to have a truly competitive car so our drivers should be aiming to finish in the points regularly and challenging for the podium.”

Using the renowned Toyota Way principles to encourage innovation and a spirit of challenge, the team have worked tirelessly to finalise the TF108 concept and put their innovative thinking into practice, as Yamashina-san adds: “At the factory everyone is motivated and pushing as hard as possible, always aiming for kaizen, continuous improvement.
“The team work is very impressive and communication is very good between all departments which has definitely helped in the development of the TF108. Everybody is working together as one unit so I am very happy with that. We have real team spirit."

Introducing the TF108
“We have great potential in this team - we have the right people in place and the right resources so we have every reason to be optimistic.”
Since making its Formula 1 debut in 2002, Panasonic Toyota Racing has strengthened and learnt from experience. The challenge of building the entire car – chassis and engine – under one roof, with a new team is significant but everyone at the Cologne technical centre is impatient to succeed and great strides continue to be made towards the ultimate goal.

President John Howett says: “We look in good shape for 2008, there is no question about that. The hard work continues all the time. We started the TF108 in earnest more or less the day the TF107 hit the track and the development has been remorseless, which it has to be because of the competitive pressure of Formula 1.
“The key issue has been to identify the major elements which contribute to performance enhancement and put more resources into those areas. Clearly the car is improving, I think, dramatically and continually, but so are the other cars. It is therefore the relative rate of performance gain that is absolutely critical. We have to work harder and smarter than our competitors.”
The TF108 is significantly different to its predecessor, on the outside and the inside, as a result of the team’s continuous search for improvement, as well as regulation changes. Formula 1 technology is constantly evolving and the team’s designers have kept pace, resulting in noticeable changes for the TF108. A key
change is that increase in wheelbase, the distance between front and rear axles. Senior General Manager Chassis Pascal Vasselon explains: “The main reason for making the wheelbase longer is to achieve more stability, but secondly we also expect greater aerodynamic development potential, giving our aerodynamicists wider surfaces and more space to play with.”

As well as a longer wheelbase, the TF108 boasts a distinctive new aerodynamic concept and advanced suspension lay-outs. “The aerodynamic concept of this car has changed,” adds Pascal. “The TF107 was an evolution of the TF106 but this time the new package is a departure from recent Toyotas. The primary aerodynamic design philosophy for the TF108 is geared towards optimising the entire package. In mechanical terms we felt we had a strong basis so we have focused on making a few refinements.”

A key element of Toyota Way thinking is genchi genbutsu - going to the source - and in developing the TF108, Pascal and his team have analysed the TF107’s characteristics to find performance solutions. He says: “In 2007, the performance overall was not where it had to be so there were obviously some weaknesses. The objectives for TF108 development are aerodynamic efficiency and drivability. For 2008, we want a car offering a wider operating window.”

Improvement is not restricted to chassis development and under the skin of the TF108 lies a new gearbox and, importantly, a new electronic control unit (ECU) for the RVX-08 engine. In 2008, all teams must use the same ECU while electronic driver aids such as traction control and engine braking have been banned. The
change to a standard ECU represented a major challenge, as Senior General Manager Engine Luca Marmorini explains: “On a Formula 1 engine, or indeed any modern car engine, even the mechanical parts
are controlled by electronics so this is a big, big change. “For a high revving engine, like in a Formula 1 car, the engine will definitely change a lot from a dynamic point of view due to a change in the control system. It is a big investment from a development point of view to adapt it.”

Once again, engine development is frozen so only minor modifications have been allowed in the interests of reliability. However, the development effort from Luca and his team has not lessened; the focus has merely shifted. This has meant concentrating on how the engine is used, dragging every last bit of performance from the package as well as constantly improving the elements around the engine where development is allowed – all this while optimising engine performance with a new ECU and the traction control ban.
“That work does have a positive effect on performance and lap time but we are not speaking about big changes because we do not have the freedom,” Luca says. “We can only work within this very strict
framework but we have done some interesting development and we expect to see positive results in 2008.”
Of course, the launch of a new car is only the first step. Panasonic Toyota Racing has set ambitious targets for its latest car and intense development will continue up to and beyond the first race of the season in Australia on March 16, when the final aerodynamic package will be available.

The team is ready for the challenge ahead, as Pascal says: “Everyone has worked very hard to get to this stage but really the work is far from being complete. Now we will focus first on understanding the
characteristics of the car on the track in order to steer set-up and development directions. There is a lot of work to do to get the most out of the car before the season starts so there will be no let-up in our efforts.”
That work resumes immediately with the TF108 roll out on 13 January followed by its first official test a day later, also at Jerez. There are a further five tests before the start of a season which Panasonic Toyota
Racing hopes to be its best yet.

TF108 Development Timeline
Oct 2006 Project group established to start investigating TF108 concept, mainly from simulation point of
view.
Dec 2006 First design decisions taken regarding TF108, including major dimensions, such as the
wheelbase.
Jan 2007 Detailed work begins in earnest on designing the TF108, with the gearbox as first priority.
Mar 2007 Wind tunnel testing of TF108 begins. First example of standard ECU arrives.
Jul 2007 Standard ECU runs on the dyno for the first time. First track tests without traction control in
preparation for 2008 ban.
Sep 2007 Development of TF107 stops, with all focus on TF108.
Nov 2007 Standard ECU runs for the first time in a car on track, at Barcelona, together with TF108 rear end
(gearbox and suspension).
Jan 2008 TF108 to run on track for the first time, at Jerez on January 13.

Track-ing the Changes
The FIA Formula 1 World Championship has a new look this season, with two new venues - Valencia and Singapore - added to the calendar.
After the addition of Fuji Speedway last season as host to the Japanese Grand Prix, two more new circuits join the schedule for 2008 to bring an added challenge.
The Singapore Grand Prix will be run - at night - on a circuit which winds its way around the centre of the 704 square kilometre city, taking in some of its most famous landmarks such as the City Hall and the Esplanade.
Recent years have seen only purpose-built circuits added to the calendar but, in addition to Singapore, Valencia will also host a race on the streets. The new track will see the cars blasting along the waterfront, with the venue utilising the exclusive infrastructure of the America’s Cup port, after the prestigious yachting event was hosted by Valencia in 2007. With Barcelona already a firm fixture as the Spanish Grand Prix,
Valencia’s race will be run as the European Grand Prix. That title was used in 2007 for the Nürburgring race, but the German race is reverting to Hockenheim as the German Grand Prix for this season.
For Formula 1 in general, a new venue brings great novelty value and a chance to explore new places, but for the engineers there is the added challenge of setting up the car without any previous data about
the track.

Chief Engineer Race and Test Dieter Gass explains: “It is a bit more difficult, yes, because there are more uncertainties at a new track compared to one which we know very well and have all the data on.
But using our simulations we are able to find the best starting setup for the new circuit, so we arrive at the track well prepared. I am confident our predictions will be very close to what we find when we get to Valencia and Singapore.”
Other changes in the calendar see the extension of the season until November 2, with the Brazilian Grand Prix once again providing the finale. The Turkish Grand Prix moves from its traditional August slot to a May 11 date, the fifth race of the season, while the United States Grand Prix is absent for the first time since 1999.

What ’s New? Electric Avenue
For next season, the rules of Formula 1 remain relatively stable, but a significant change concerns the electrical systems permitted on the cars.
There will be a single supplier of ECUs (electronic control units), with Microsoft-McLaren Electronic Systems providing exactly the same units to each of the 11 teams. An ECU is effectively the electronic brain of the car, controlling and optimising engine behaviour. The move towards a single supplier has been made with a view to keeping costs and speeds at an acceptable level by eliminating a significant performance variable. With a single ECU supplier, Formula 1 will also see driver aids restricted in 2008, with traction control and
engine braking banned for this season.
Traction control sees the car’s ECU regulate wheel spin on the exit of corners to maximise grip and minimise the risk of a spin by making subtle changes to the power delivered to the rear wheels, while engine
braking uses engine management to reduce speeds more efficiently. Panasonic Toyota Racing began testing the new ECU on its engine test beds last year before running the unit in the TF107 over the winter.
Despite the challenge of integrating a new ECU into existing systems, the team has coped well.
Senior General Manager Engine Luca Marmorini explains: “We have done a lot of testing on the dyno, looking into the reliability of the engine with this standard ECU. Then we have done a lot of tuning work on track to learn how to use an ECU which was new to our engineers.

“It is a big investment from a development point of view to adapt an existing engine that was developed with a different control system.

It is tricky to make sure the engine works as it should using a new system and this has meant a lot of work for our engine and electronic people. However, I have to say I am pleased with the progress we
have made.”
Once again, engines must last two events but a further challenge is added by the requirement to use the same gearbox for four races. This regulation has been introduced in the interests of cost cutting
and any premature gearbox change will result in a five-place penalty on the starting grid.
Another change for 2008 sees the fuel regulations amended to oblige all teams to use fuel which contains at least 5.75% of fuel derived from biological sources, in the case of Panasonic Toyota Racing that means
using unleaded gasoline, with at least 5.75% of bio ethanol.

Q+A with Pasca l Vase lon, Senior General Manager Chasis

When did development of the TF108 begin?
We made our first decisions about the direction we would take with the TF108 towards the end of the 2006 season. Since then, gradually we have increased our work on the TF108 in parallel to developing the
TF107 throughout the season. However, after the Japanese Grand Prix in September, we switched our efforts 100% to the new car.

Has there been a major change for the TF108?
The aerodynamic concept of this car has changed. The TF107 was an evolution of the TF106 but this time the new package is a departure from recent Toyotas. The primary aerodynamic design philosophy for the TF108 is geared towards optimising the entire package to minimise balance and downforce changes throughout a lap, thereby producing a more driveable, aerodynamically robust car. In addition to the aerodynamic philosophy, another fundamental change is the wheelbase, which is longer. In mechanical terms we felt we had a strong basis in the TF107’s characteristics so we have focused on making a few refinements. We have  made refinements to improve the weight over stiffness ratio with better structural efficiency, so we achieve the same stiffness values with less weight.

Why change the wheelbase?
This was a decision we had to take at the very beginning of the TF108 project, for obvious reasons as it has a huge impact. The main reason for making this decision is to achieve more stability, but secondly we also expect greater aerodynamic development potential, giving our aerodynamicists wider surfaces so more space to play with.

Has the TF108 hit our targets in wind tunnel tests and other simulations?
I am pleased to say the TF108 is on target, the aerodynamic efficiency and associated performance metrics continue to improve rapidly, but of course the real test will come when it runs on the track. The TF108 looks great and we are very excited to see it in action to learn if it lives up to our high expectations.

How ambitious were our targets?
At Toyota we believe in setting challenging targets so we always aim high. When we did the comparison to other teams and what they were achieving in terms of performance, it was quite straightforward for us to deduce what targets we should be aiming for and what kind of aerodynamic figures we should expect to get. We knew what we wanted to achieve with the TF108 but setting the target is easy, the challenge is to deliver performance on the track.

Which areas did you identify to improve?
In 2007, the performance overall was not where it had to be so there were obviously some weaknesses. The objectives for TF108 development are aerodynamic efficiency and drivability. For 2008, we want a car offering a wider operating window. This has been achieved through a better understanding of the key aerodynamic stability metrics, in addition to judicious whole car flow control and thermal management.

Are there obvious visual differences?
Of course. One of the most visible changes is the combined use of suspension turning vanes, barge boards and undercut sidepods.

How much effort has gone into the TF108?
Everyone involved in this project has put an enormous amount of effort into the TF108. We started this car really early, with key decisions made at the end of 2006 to allow us to make an early start on developing the overall concept. Since then, the TF108 team have pushed hard to keep the project on schedule in terms of timing and in terms of the results we are getting in simulations and in the wind tunnel. The TF108 is the result of a great effort from everyone, from the team who designed it, to the wind tunnel, test bed and simulation
guys who tested it and then our colleagues who built and assembled it. Getting a new car ready for its first test is inevitably a race against time but everyone has done a great job.

What’s next for the TF108?
Everyone has worked very hard to get to this stage but really the work is far from being complete. Now we will focus first on understanding the characteristics of the car on the track in order to steer set-up and
development directions. This starts with the roll out on January 13 at Jerez. There is a lot of work to do to get the most out of the car before the season starts so there will be no let-up in our efforts.

Will there be a B version of the TF108?
We have no plans to introduce a B-spec version of this car but we will introduce significant new packages as the season goes on. The first new package will be on the car in Australia for the first race.

How has the Toyota Way been implemented in the development of the TF108?
The Toyota Way is in our blood so of course the principles and methods are used in the way we organise our resources and the way we deal with problems. The Toyota Way is now embedded in our philosophy.

This is the second year of the current tyre regulations, how has the team adapted the TF108 to the situation?
In most cases you adapt to a new tyre situation by adjusting some key concept parameters on the new car. There are significant factors you must get right to use the tyres correctly, such as the weight distribution
window or the camber change. We know from the TF107 that we got these characteristics in the right window so for the TF108 we expect to be in a position to work within our usual set-up parameters to get the best out of the tyres. Of course, we are still learning every day how to truly get the maximum out of the tyres because there are always small improvements to be made. The tyres for this season will be very similar to 2007, with just a subtle construction change which will be minor in terms of its effect on the car.

Has the team learned lessons from its 2007 performance?
In Formula 1 you are always learning and that is especially true in our case. Our learning curve is probably steeper than most other teams’ simply because we are a relatively young team. We have learned
lessons in terms of car performance, race management and start management. The positive thing about mistakes is that they make you stronger when handled in an efficient and constructive way. We
still have work to do if we are to compete with the best teams but we are constantly learning and continuously improving.

What are your objectives for 2008?
Personally, I believe the target should be to fight systematically for the podium in 2008. Next year we should aim to achieve what BMW Sauber achieved in 2007, which was to be the best of the rest. It would not be realistic to talk of fighting for the title this year but we want significant improvement.

Q+A with Luca Marmorini, Senior General Manager Engine

Is the RVX-08 effectively the same as the RVX-07?
I would say internally the engine is the same, due to the engine freeze regulations we are working with. There have been some minor modifications to the engine we submitted to the FIA for homologation, which are permitted within the regulations, but basically the heart of the engine is the same as the one we finished the 2006 season with.

What kind of things have you been able to change?
We had a clear limit to the engine rpm and we knew that we couldn’t substantially modify important parts of the engine so we worked a lot to narrow the gap between the true limit of the engine and how we use it. In the past we left a bit of a margin and didn’t run the engine to the very limit because we were always able to move the rev limit or change some materials. From 2007 we were not allowed to do this so we had to invest in research and development to be sure we always use all the potential of the engine. This did not mean modification of parts but it did mean a different way of using the engine.

Were you able to affect performance?
Yes, that work does have a positive effect on performance and lap time but definitely we are not speaking about big changes because we do not have the freedom. We can only work within this very strict framework but we have done some interesting development and we expect to see positive results in 2008.

Will the RVX-08 be competitive in 2008?

Yes, I think so. We are comfortable with where we are but, as always,
we are working hard to improve.

After working within the engine freeze regulations for over a year, what are your thoughts?
It is much less interesting because we tend to focus on very small details. We did that anyway because a good Formula 1 team takes care to make sure all the small details are correct. But under the current rules there is no way to develop interesting concepts on the engine which might have a use on road cars. In this sense it is much less interesting from an engine development point of view. We are always pushing the limit of the engine under these restrictions so we have put a lot of effort and resources into the quality of the parts. If you want to be pushing the engine close to its limit all the time, you want perfect parts. This is a big investment.

Does the engine freeze mean engines are less important in Formula 1 now?
There is still a bit of development which can be done. We are still focused on improving lap time but now we cannot do this purely from increased power or revs as this is not allowed any longer. However, we have worked on using the engine in such a way that we will see an improvement in lap time anyway. In the end we have to win as a whole package – chassis and engine. Toyota is manufacturing the engine and chassis under the same roof so that is a big advantage to us.

What kind of performance targets have you set for the RVX-08?

Honestly it is difficult to give details on our targets apart from with reliability. Our target for this year is to have zero race stoppages due to the engine. We achieved this in 2007 and we expect to do the same again. We do have other performance targets but I cannot go into the details because everyone is looking for ideas and something to add performance to the car.

What does an ECU do? Why is a standard ECU such an important change?
On a Formula 1 engine, or indeed any modern car engine, even the mechanical parts are controlled by electronics. There are two elements to the standard ECU issue – one is the FIA decision to remove any active control systems such as traction control and the other is that everyone will use the same hardware. This is a big, big change. For a high revving engine, like a Formula 1 car, the engine will definitely change a lot from a dynamic point of view due to a change in the control system.

How much of a challenge has it been to integrate the standard ECU?
We have done a lot of testing on the dyno, looking into the reliability of the engine with this standard ECU. Then we have done a lot of tuning work on track to learn how to use an ECU which was new to our engineers. It is a big investment from a development point of view to adapt an existing engine that was developed with a different control system. It is tricky to make sure the engine works as it should using a new system and this has meant a lot of work for our engine and electronic people. However, I have to say I am pleased with the
progress we have made.

What is the impact of a standard ECU on engine performance?
It depends a lot. When you consider that we are all using our engines close to the absolute limit then definitely if you don’t fully understand how to use this new hardware you might need to give yourself more
margin. You have to try to improve and get the best out of the new ECU and your engine, hoping there won’t be any reliability impact.

Have you solved the problems with starts which occurred in 2007?
We studied the issues we had with start-line performance in 2007 and I think our general understanding of all the components that play a part in a good launch – tyres, engines, transmission, clutch and driver – improved significantly. We are fairly happy and confident with what we learned during the season but now a lot more control has been given to the driver so we have had to slightly change our approach for this season. With a standard ECU and restrictions on the control systems, a lot of responsibility is now on the driver and he has a lot more impact on the success of a start.

How would you assess the first year of the partnership with Williams?
For me it was very positive. We definitely developed more as a team working with them, respecting the fact that they are competitors and each of us wants to be faster than the other. I would say that the cooperation worked extremely well and we also collected important information by working with them because basically we had four engines rather than two at all races. The good thing as well was that we had our engine in a competitive car so that gave us a benchmark. We are looking forward to working with them again this year.