Toyota confirmed the worst-kept secret in Formula One today when it announced that Mike Gascoyne had become technical director.
Gascoyne, who has been on 'gardening leave' recently, has joined from Renault and will officially take up his post on December 1st.
"I am naturally sad to be leaving the Renault F1 team after three highly enjoyable and successful seasons," said the former Jordan designer, whose official title will be technical director (chassis).
"I am looking forward to my exciting new role at Toyota with great enthusiasm and, together, we will relish the long-term challenge of developing Toyota into a world championship-winning team."
Toyota, reputed to have the biggest budget in F1 after Ferrari, have just completed their second season in the sport, finishing eighth in the constructors' championship with 16 points.
Meanwhile, Japan's Takuma Sato will be expected to raise his game in 2004 despite his encouraging debut for BAR-Honda in the season's final race at his home circuit.
Sato, who endured a fruitless season with Jordan in 2002, finished sixth at Suzuka last Sunday after stepping in at the last minute for former world champion Jacques Villeneuve - who he will replace full-time next season - but team chief David Richards still wants more from his Japanese driver.
"Taku can still make mistakes," said Richards of the 26-year-old. "He can be erratic and is not as smooth as we would like him to be.
"But our job is to hone his skills. We have got to work at it together. He is very intelligent, very focussed, very determined and he is very open minded about how we will work on this together."
Richards expects Sato and Britain's Jenson Button, who he wants to groom into the role of team leader, to take the challenge to the top three in 2004 after they snatched fifth in the Manufacturers' Championship in Japan with a double points finish. Button was fourth.