By Andrew Benson Motorsport editor at Silverstone

Gasgoyne is confident of Toyota victories by 2006

Toyota are hoping for a boost from a new car they will introduce at the German Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

The car is lighter and has improved aerodynamics, while the team are also hoping to have a more powerful engine.

Team technical director Mike Gascoyne, who joined the team from Renault last year, said it was the first step in moving towards the front of the grid.

"From where we are you are not going to get to the front in one step, but this is the start of the process," he said.

Toyota, who have been disappointing so far in 2004, poached Gascoyne from Renault on a multi-million pound salary to turn them into a competitive outfit.

It is a role he has previously performed with considerable success at both Jordan and Renault.

We have put a lot of things right at the factory, done a lot of hard work that you don't see at the race track Mike Gascoyne

He started work in December, too late to have any substantive influence on the car with which Toyota started the year.

But he has been responsible for overseeing the work on the new design, as well as improving the operation of the team.

Gascoyne said: "We're expecting it to go quicker otherwise we wouldn't have made it. We've been doing a lot of work. We think it's a good step forward.

"We have put a lot of things right at the factory, done a lot of hard work that you don't see at the race track.

"It's taken a long time and now we are starting to see the results of all that work.

"But it's just the first step of what will be a long process, but one that we're trying to do as quickly as we can.

"It is lighter, it has more downforce. Everyone is making progress, so it's impossible to say exactly where it will put you."

Gascoyne is confident he can turn Toyota into a team that is capable of winning races by 2006.