Toyota's
Ralf Schumacher is targeting a top eight finish in Monte Carlo this weekend, when the Cologne based squad will use their new B-spec car for the first time.
The German has scored seven points to date this season, and while he has retired from the last two rounds, he is hopeful he can add to his tally on Sunday and re-produce the kind of form that saw him score at the Principality in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
"From a driving point of view it's great to drive at Monaco and a challenge to be quicker than everyone else round the narrow streets," said Ralf. "The barriers are closer than anywhere so you need to adapt your approach slightly. But that is something we have all got used to down the years.
"The first challenge is to secure a good place on the grid and then to try and finish the race without mishap. Still, I have always been quick there and I've taken pole position and a podium in the past. Last year I made the points and we will hope for more this weekend. Tyre choice is always tricky because the track changes so much during the weekend. But if you have a driveable car here it's fun so I'll be looking forward to trying out our new TF106B."
Toyota's senior chassis general manager, Pascal Vasselon meanwhile believes that the TF106B will definitely help there cause as it has a better mechanical base than the standard TF106.
"At Monaco you are so close to the track that you can feel how fast an
F1 car really is. So it is a special place and it will be even more special this year because we will run our TF106B for the first time," he added. "The car is a long-planned mechanical evolution of the TF106 that we have raced so far this year, featuring a development of the new front suspension concept introduced on the TF105B at the end of the 2005 season. Our policy is constant evolution and the TF106B gives us an excellent mechanical base for continued aerodynamic development during the season.
