Luca Marmorini – Head of Engine design, Toyota

This was a private one-to-one interview with Luca at the launch of the TF102 car at the teams HQ in Koln (Germany).

CS>How different is this engine from the test cars?
LM>The new car is completely new, to install the engine in the new car was big job, this required a completely new installation, mostly cosmetic, different mounting water circulation. The core of the engine has not changed. we designed the engine knowing it would race in 2002. So we did not change it except for daily development, which is when they are trying something better for the engine.

CS>But the same basic castings?
LM>Yes we included a lot of small modifications

CS>What is the V angle?
Yes it is officially confirmed as 90 degrees.

CS>In 2001 the fuel injector position was a major point of development, BMW placed theirs in the inlet tract is this something Toyota have tried?
LM>This is normal development for the engine department, on a new engine you locate the injectors where you think its better, you always work changing the position there are performance issues and mostly drivability issues that can change it alot.
I cannot tell you our things, we think at the moment we are in the right position for the kind of usage the engine will have in the car.

CS>What were the aims for the new engine performance, drivability reliability?
LM>The first wish is reliability, to finish as may races as possible, when we have this in our hand, giving maximum performance to our drivers. We already started work on drivability with our driver this year, so we already give a good package to our drivers.

CS>The test car changed from long complicated exhausts to a shorter version was this for drivability.
LM>This was not linked to drivability, but to aerodynamic changes.

CS>The oil tank was very large on the test car, was this as a safeguard for reliability
LM>Yes, the decision of the oil tank capacity is linked strategy, to how many risks you want, with the test car we had to do this. You will know in the future why, because it was a particular concept with the test car. The racecar will definitely be smaller.

CS>Are the coolers in the sidepods smaller now you have the data from the test car?
LM>Yes

CS>What's the plan to introduce development steps in the engine?
LM>The engine in the car now will the same as the one race din Melbourne. we are thinking of a couple of big steps in the eh year. Of course we will try to be aggressive whenever we find something good without risk we try to put it on the engine. So we plan two big steps

CS>What are you trying to achieve with the aero dept in the airbox, pressure, still air, volume, acoustics?
LM>We want to recover as much dynamic pressure as possible. so when the car is running at we want the maximum pressure inside the airbox this is the key number 1. But there are a lot of other disturbances, the airbox can create a lot of acoustic effect inside, so normally the engine dept focus a lot of attention on them because the influence a lot on the drivability of the engine. The engine may be perfect on the test set up, on the circuit the driver complains because in transit it is no working. There is some activity on static performance static pressure in the airbox space and then to work in detail to avoid any negative acoustic interference, we have tools to predict it very closely with the engine in the car buts its never enough.

CS>What relationship is there with Toyota in Japan?
LM>Japan are working on long term activities. Development of specific components requiring specific skills or long term development. We also work with TRD in California; we are a huge engine producer.

CS>How much of the engine is produced on site here in Cologne?
LM>We can machine most of the work in our factory. We have no casting faculties here, We have a casting facility in Japan. . We have a couple of specialist suppliers for most thing. We have to go to the best suppliers, we don't car if their in Japan or any where. So we share suppliers with other teams and are developing our own specific suppliers.