FEBRUARY 5, 2001

Toyota set to start testing in March

TOYOTA MOTORSPORT president Ove Andersson has indicated that the team is set to start testing their new Formula One car in March.

Andersson, who is in charge of Toyota's entry into Formula One next year, said that the team will start testing after their launch on March 23.

Former Sauber driver Mika Salo and Briton Allan McNish will pilot the test-car as the Japanese team bid to spend a year gathering data before their introduction onto the grid in the 2002 season.

"After we launch the test car on March 23, testing will begin," said Andersson. "Later in the year we will also start to gather data around most of the European circuits."

Toyota Motorsport, whose Formula One operation is based near Cologne, Germany, also announced on Tuesday an agreement with Exxon Mobil for a technical partnership in the Formula One campaign.