TOYOTA
Now this was one of the most fascinating prospects for me all season. I still was very fond of Toyota at the time and eagerly wished them climbing up the ladder of success step by tiny step. After just a paltry 9pts (3 in old money) for the whole of 2004, I was much more excited by most people at the prospect of both Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli joining. Both were top drivers who were thereabouts, but tantalisingly, they were FAR superior to the 2004 line-up of past-it-Panis and it-didn't-matter-to-da Matta, on another planet actually. So I hugely anticipated a big step in performance from just drivers alone.

Then consider Mike Gascoyne was by now established in the team and it was looking very interesting indeed. I predicted Toyota would be able to hang on to the coat tails of the 5 teams ahead to, though trailing a bit, still be close enough to be considered the 6th team in a new "big 6". Almost all the points would be dished out between these 6 teams and their drivers. I was excited to see the team mixing it up in the top 6 on the grid on occasion.

However, I was alarmed at what the new tyre regulation would mean for Toyota. Their tyre wear and race pace was shocking in 2004, and now with just 1 tyre, I feared the Toyota's would be dead ducks, rendered completely impotent in races, putting paid to any hopes of the odd top 5 result...


JORDAN - TOYOTA
In the back end of 2004, I had several drivers in a Jordan, from Anthony Davidson and David Coulthard (at the same time!) to I don't even know who else. I was little disappointed in their final uninspiring driver line up of TWO rookies. That was any realistic hope I had for Jordan shot there and then, though I was always really fond of Monteiro for some reason, since 2000 in French F3 (I didn't follow the series but was aware of him), while I'd always liked Karthikeyan from his wild driving in British F3 in 1999, dominating at driver's track Brands Hatch, and always shining in the wet.

So I had Jordan pretty much the same as 2004, not much hope for anything other than a very rare fortunate points finish or 2.


MINARDI - COSWORTH
Patrick Freisacher was another driver I liked from German F3 (same situation as Monteiro, not following the series but aware of him), so I was surprised and glad to see him get a chance. Though I always REALLY wanted to see David Saelens get a chance! I was a really huge fan of his, and always hoped he might get a break (what on earth happened to him anyway?). Christian Albers (who SO nearly got in ahead of Verstappen for 2003) also joined, though I was welcoming this time, even though I found him absurdly overrated having been annihilated by Webber in F3000.

Happily, Minardi announced a new chassis for the first time in 3 seasons. This was news to me, as I never knew they were simply using an old one year-on-year, or that anyone seriously did that! But by now, I was starting to have been round the block a bit, and knew the new car wouldn't transform Minardi to challenging the midfield.