Toyota could offer Coulthard race-winning package

David Coulthard could be handed a car that even Michael Schumacher would be proud to drive – now all he has to do is earn the seat.

The 32-year-old will be looking for a new team for 2005 when his nine-year career at McLaren comes to an end.

Ambitious Toyota might offer the Scot a potentially race-winning package with the Cologne-based outfit determined to become a major Formula One force in the next few years under British technical director Mike Gascoyne.

“My role is to put things in place to make sure that in the long-term we can be at the front of the grid and challenging for the championship,” said Gascoyne, who took over last month.

“It is not difficult designing an F1 car, the hard part is building a quick one. But our aim is to build a car that even Schumacher would be proud to drive.”

Toyota are unlikely to target the six-time world champion as Schumacher is tied to Ferrari until the end of 2006 and will not drive for any other team.

But the German’s younger brother Ralf is on their hit-list and that could scupper Coulthard’s chances as he looks for a new team.

Schumacher junior has halted wage negotiations with Williams after they balked at his £12m

(€17.4m) salary demands, but money is no object to Toyota with the Japanese car giant fuelling the F1 bid to the tune of around €290m a year.

“If Ralf or David came knocking at my door then I would look more seriously at Ralf,” said former team boss Ove Andersson, who now has an advisory role.

McLaren have yet to confirm their 2005 driver line-up but Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen is reported to have been told he will be partnering Juan Pablo Montoya when the Colombian moves from Williams for 2005.

Toyota’s current drivers also have no intention of giving up their seats without a fight with Brazil’s Cristiano da Matta confident the option on his services will be taken up.

There are more question marks over the future of veteran Olivier Panis who will turn 38 before the end of the coming season, though the Frenchman has no thoughts of quitting.

“I think Ralf is just looking for the money,” said Panis. “I am starting this season with no thoughts about retiring at the end of it,” said Panis in Cologne today.

“All I am thinking about is doing a good job this year. If I do that then I am confident that I will still be here in 2005. That is the aim.”

Gascoyne, who was poached from Renault after he helped turn the Anglo-French team into race winners last season, has defended Toyota’s budget which is reputed to be the highest in F1.

“Toyota have been very clear why they came into F1 and what they want to do,” said Gascoyne, who has targeted fifth place for the team’s third season. “But they are competing with top teams who have been investing in F1 for 20 years.

“If you have got to build that up in two or three years it takes a lot of investment and Toyota have invested in the right way.”