|
Contents
Home
News
News Archive
Membership
Fan Club Test Day
Photo
Gallery
Past
Teams
Members
Page
email
Jarno
Contact
us
Merchandise
Links
|
Latest
News
(Members
page updated 11th April 2008)
Please note: we apologise that we are currently unable to supply
any signed photos except to new fan club members as part of their membership
pack. Please feel free to try Toyota yourself on pr@toyota-f1.com as they have the access
to Jarno and the money to afford the postage. We have a limited facility for
this. We do however have a long waiting list for autographs. Thanks.
Jarno
Forum and Fan Page
Remember
the Jarno Forum? Well, there is a now a website to go with it! Visit at http://www.frozen-dreams.sk/jarno/ There is also a link to the original forum from
the site or go straight to http://s15.invisionfree.com/trulli/ to talk about our
driver. Registration is required but is quick and easy. Happy talking!
Jarno’s Wine
Jarno’s wine from his Alanno vineyard, Podere Castorani, is
available in the UK. The fan club has a stock of 9 different wines at various
prices. If you are interested in buying this wine from us, see the
merchandise form, or please contact us at jtrullifc@aol.com with any queries. All p&p is £10
per bottle Royal Mail Special Delivery.
For more info on the wine itself, visit http://www.poderecastorani.it/. The UK importer has now changed to HallgartenDruiitt, who are
importing nine of the different vintages from Podere Castorani and it is
being sold to the public through http://www.averys.com/
with a reduced delivery price of £5.99. Visit their website, call them on
01275 811100 or write for their price list, including S.A.E., to us at Jarno
Trulli UK Fan Club, 249 Ipswich Road, Colchester, CO4 0EW. The wine is also available from The Wine
Room, which offers cases of 6 bottles at similar prices. Visit http://www.wineroom.co.uk/ or write to sales@wineroom.co.uk or call 01582 733300.
American fans should now contact U.S. importer Marco Vivona at marcovivona@marcoandsonwine.com or call 813 621 5304. The Wine Tasting Club also has Jarno’s
wine in stock in the US: call 863 605 0804 or email finevineclub@gmail.com
Boxer Welfare Scotland
Jarno supports Boxer
Welfare Scotland!!! This is a charity that rescues and rehomes unwanted
Boxer dogs and is desperate for funds. Jarno’s family keeps Boxers and Jarno
loves them, so has given a statement of support, which you can see here,or
going through the link under Celebrity Auctions. They do have an online shop
for original gifts or would welcome any donation however small.
1st September 2008
Belgian
Grand Prix - Preview
Panasonic
Toyota Racing makes the short trip across the Belgian border this weekend to
Spa-Francorchamps, just an hour away from the team's technical centre in
Cologne, Germany. The 7.004km Spa-Francorchamps track is the longest on the
Formula 1 calendar and hosts the Belgian Grand Prix for the 41st time on
Sunday. Its unique mix of high-speed corners and long straights makes it one
of the most spectacular and challenging tracks in the world, while the
Ardennes weather can be highly unpredictable. Toyota has some aerodynamic
updates on the TF108 specifically to cope with the demands of Spa, although
last week's successful test at Monza focused more on the upcoming Italian
Grand Prix. The team arrives in Belgium with a 10-point cushion in fourth
place in the Constructors' Championship following consecutive double-points
finishes and the aim this weekend is to strengthen that position while challenging
for the podium.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11): "In my opinion Spa is simply the best
circuit in the world and I love driving there. Every part of the circuit is
challenging for a driver and that is fantastic because you have to really
push in every corner to get the best lap time; it gives you a special
feeling. I really enjoy driving at Spa and even after the changes they made
to the track for last year's race it still has a unique character; it has
everything you want as a driver. Eau Rouge is still one of the best corners
in the world but now it is flat-out so it's not as challenging as it used to
be. I'm optimistic for this weekend because I believe we can have another
strong result. Spa is my favourite track and it is also quite close to the
factory so I want to score points there to make it a perfect weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 12): "Spa is one of my favourite tracks so I can't wait to
race there for the first time in Formula 1. It's a fantastic experience in a
GP2 car so I am expecting it to be amazing in the TF108. I am going to
Belgium with a lot of confidence because our performance in the last few
races has been very impressive and we have proved we can fight at the front.
Personally it is very satisfying to have scored points in the last two races despite
feeling unwell both times and I really believe we have made a lot of
progress. It's really good for the team to be scoring points regularly and
challenging for the podium. We hope we will be strong again in Spa but we
will see how it goes with the harder compound Bridgestone tyres. I am
confident we can finish in the points again."
Pascal
Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "Spa is really my home race now
because I live close to the track and I love the place. It's just one of
those places where you feel the enthusiasm in the drivers and everyone
connected to the team. To see Formula 1 cars through Eau Rouge is fabulous -
it is so quick, although now it is flat-out so you know that the cars are not
at the limit. Spa is a fantastic place to race, even when it rains. In terms
of lay-out, Spa is very specific. The high-speed corners would normally
require high downforce but the long straights mean it is really a medium-low
downforce track. Nowhere else do we have this combination of high-speed corners
and still the need for aero efficiency; it is really unique in Formula 1. Spa
is also severe on the engine, tyres and suspension; the brakes are the only
item which has an easy time of it."
29th August 2008
Monza
Test - Day 3
Day
3: McLaren
beat Ferrari at the top of the times, Hamilton ahead of Raikkonen. Fisichella
took Force India to an appearance in the top 3. Timo took over from Jarno to
be 8th. He had a minor accident at the end of the day. Kubica also
lost some time after going off track in the morning.
PRESS RELEASE
Timo Glock joined day three of Panasonic Toyota Racing's Monza test for his first
experience of the TF108 around the legendary Italian circuit. Timo spent his
day adapting to the Monza-specification aerodynamic package, which is geared
for high speed and low downforce. He concentrated on finding better turn-in
capability and a brake balance he was comfortable with while also adjusting
the car to cope with Monza's notoriously high kerbs. He tried a number of
different set-ups before, half an hour from the end of the test, the car got
away from him and he clipped a tyre barrier at the second Lesmo. Panasonic
Toyota Racing will be in action again next Friday when practice begins for
the Belgian Grand Prix.
Timo Glock - Chassis TF108-04
Best Lap Time: 1min 23.897s
Position: 7th
Total laps: 79 Total
distance: 457.647km
"We will
have to analyse in detail what the problem was. Until the accident the test
was going okay but we had a few problems around midday. Then in the afternoon
I think track conditions were a bit slower and we couldn't really make strong
progress. The crash was not nice and I'm not sure what happened. We'd had a
bit of understeer and the kerb-riding was not too comfortable but I wasn't
aware of making a mistake. We will have to have a close look at the
data."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"It was unfortunate that Timo went off just before the end but if it has
to happen at all, better then than at the beginning of the day. We had
already worked through the majority of the schedule, which was aimed at
familiarising Timo with the specific demands of Monza, which are quite
different to other circuits. We did a lot of experimentation with brake feel,
ride heights and general aerodynamic set-up. It has been a productive three
days with consistent conditions and no weather interruptions. I want to thank
everyone for their efforts, we have collected a lot of data and will take it
all into account before the Italian Grand Prix here next month."
28th August 2008
Monza
Test - Day 2
Day 2: Heidfeld was quickest for BMW, followed by Rosberg’s
Williams. Jarno and Toyota plodded around doing what they had to do, being
quicker only than both Hondas (the drivers sharing a car) and Bourdais’ Toro
Rosso in P9.
PRESS
RELEASE
Jarno Trulli continued preparations for his home Grand Prix at Monza and took
advantage of another sunny day with good track conditions to work through a
busy programme. With the original fast Hockenheim layout no longer a part of
the F1 schedule, Monza demands a unique set-up in terms of aerodynamic
efficiency for maximum straightline speed, with drivers having to cope with
lower levels of downforce than they are used to elsewhere. Aerodynamic
changes are a compromise between time gained on the straight and time lost
under braking and Jarno took advantage of the full day to establish his
personal preferences. Timo Glock concludes the test for the team tomorrow.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-04
Best Lap Time: 1min 24.158s
Position: 9th
Total laps: 77 Total
distance: 446.061km
"It
was a productive day working through the usual things for Monza, where I hope
we can maintain the form that we have been showing and which has taken us to
fourth place in the Constructors' Championship. We concentrated mainly on the
important things for this track, which are an efficient aerodynamic set-up,
good braking feel and the need to feel comfortable over the kerbs. I'm
satisfied with progress."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"We carried on with the programme that we started yesterday,
concentrating on set-up and tyre work and doing more experimentation with the
brakes and brake balance. That was the main thrust of the schedule, it all
went to plan, we didn't run with low fuel and we achieved everything we were
aiming at. We changed an engine but that was for homologation purposes and
was scheduled."
27th August 2008
Monza
Test - Day 1
Day 1: All the teams are at Monza and Massa was fastest for Ferrari,
followed by Kovalainen for McLaren. Jarno was 9th of 10 for
Toyota. No dramas.
PRESS RELEASE
Track length: 5.793km
Location:
Monza, Italy
Driver: Jarno Trulli
Track length: 5.793km
Jarno Trulli began Panasonic Toyota Racing's three-day test at Monza in
preparation for the Italian Grand Prix, round 14 of the world championship,
on 14 September. Morning conditions were hot and sunny but the test team got
off to a tricky start due to a couple of mechanical issues which required
further investigation. Jarno then concentrated on establishing a baseline
set-up with the revised Monza-spec TF108, which features a low-downforce
aerodynamic package unique to the Italian Grand Prix. Braking performance and
stability is also key, with three chicanes breaking up a lap that features
70% full throttle running, so Jarno completed plenty of running to get as
much information as possible about the TF108's behaviour, particularly focusing
on the brakes and suspension. Jarno continues in the car tomorrow.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-04
Best Lap Time: 1min 24.510s
Position: 9th
Total laps: 92 Total
distance: 532.956km
"The
car's feel is very important at Monza because you are trying to run with as
little drag as possible so you do not have as much downforce as at other
circuits. We had a delay at the beginning of the day but then we concentrated
on brake work as well as trying the car with different levels of downforce and
evaluating the Bridgestone tyre compounds that we will use in the Italian
Grand Prix. In the end I did more than 90 laps and we collected a lot of
information to continue the test tomorrow."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"It was not the ideal start this morning due to a short delay but when
we started running everything went well. We had to make some mechanical
alterations which we have to analyse back in Cologne. In the afternoon we
caught up with our programme with the emphasis on suspension data collection
and other test items. We were not aiming to set fast lap times but we are in
a good position to make further progress with Jarno tomorrow before Timo
takes over for the final day of the test on Friday."
24th August 2008
European
Grand Prix – Race
Nakajima will be the villain in Spain for a while, driving into
Fernando Alonso on the first lap and ending his race. The Williams continued
with only a stop for a new front wing, to rub salt into the wound. Massa took
off at the start ahead of Hamilton and maintained the lead during the race to
win. Hamilton, who later let us know he was suffering with fevers and a
cricked neck having slept awkwardly to the extent of almost letting De la
Rosa race, like that was going to happen, the drama queen, came second. He
and McLaren hope the race stewards are going to penalise Massa for leaving
his pitbox in the way of Sutil who was minding his own business after his
pitstop. The narrowness of the pitlane here and the team being Ferrari ensures
the win is unlikely to be taken away, and chances are they will get away with
it. Ferrari had other dramas when
first Raikkonen tried to leave his pit box with the fuel rig still attached
(this appearing to be his fault) and then his engine expired. Is this
happening to Ferrari more than any other team this year, or is it just me?
Toyota did a fine job, with Jarno driving a great race again to come in 5th,
and Timo was 7th after a neat one-stop strategy. DC was in the
wars, trying another of his doomed overtaking moves on Sutil and spinning on
the first lap, but continuing. Sutil, some laps after his scare with Massa,
crashed out all on his own on lap 42, one of only 3 retirees and no safety
cars! Top 8: Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen, Trulli, Vettel, Glock,
Rosberg. Post race: As expected Massa was only reprimanded and fined 10,000
euros for the pitlane misdemeanour. And Kimi Raikkonen said that the fuel rig
incident was his fault for going too early. He forgot to mention that he was
sorry about hitting the mechanic but he must have done so privately, for
sure….
PRESS RELEASE
Today's
Weather: Sunny and dry, air 29-32°C, track 43-49°C
Constructors' Championship Points: 41 (4th)
Drivers' Championship Points: Jarno Trulli 26 (7th) Timo Glock 15 (10th)
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: From 7th, he made a good start and maintained his position into the
first corner. He spent the first stint held up behind Sebastian Vettel's Toro
Rosso but made the most of two extra laps of fuel to pass at the first stop.
Gained another place late on due to Kimi Raikkonen's slow pit stop and raced
well from there to take four points for a fine 5th place.
Race Classification: 5th (+50.684s)
Qualifying Classification: 7th Lap Time: 1m 40.309s (+1.320s in Q3) Grid: 7th
"That
was a good result and a great performance by the team. The weekend started
badly for me but it has finished really well today so I'm happy. I could
drive a strong race without attacking much. I pushed very hard when I needed
to while paying attention to taking care of my tyres and my brakes
throughout. This shows how good we are getting and how nice it is to race
with a competitive car every weekend. Toyota is doing a very good job this
year and looking strong and more competitive at every circuit. The team is
still pushing with the development work so I'm confident that we can maintain
the form in the coming races and keep the points coming."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: From 13th on the grid, he made a very strong getaway, gaining three
places on the first lap despite being heavily fuelled on a one-stop strategy.
Made ground as others pitted, making it up to 5th place before his stop. He
defended well on his long stint on the option tyre, taking two valuable
points.
Race Classification: 7th (+1m 07.990s)
Qualifying Classification: 13th Lap Time: 1m 38.499s (+0.657s in Q2) Grid:
13th
"That
was one of my hardest races ever because I have had a bad cold for the last
two days. But I had a good car and the right strategy and I think P7 was the
best result we could have achieved today so I'm really happy. I made up some
places at the start and then just tried to do my race. It was tough in the
middle of the race and in the last 10 laps I pushed as hard as I could to
stay concentrated. Considering our qualifying and my condition, I am happy.
It's a great result for the team to get both cars into the points for the
constructors' championship."
Tadashi
Yamashina - Team Principal
"This has turned into one of those good weekends. After qualifying,
everybody was a bit disappointed but today went much better due to excellent
teamwork. After Jarno missed Saturday's practice session, the crew put Timo's
set-up into Jarno's car and he delivered a very good performance and a very
smooth race to 5th place today. Timo was not feeling well but he made an
excellent start, managed his tyres well and put in a huge effort to complete
this race with the best result. I'm very happy that we are confirming our
good pace. Now we will push to keep these results coming, with a particular
eye on the Japanese Grand Prix later in the season."
23rd August 2008
European
Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice: It was the return of Toro Rosso as their
drivers finished 3rd (Bourdais) and 6th (Vettel). But
fastest man in this session was BMW’s Kubica, followed by Williams’ Rosberg.
It wasn’t a great session for Toyota, with Timo 16th and Jarno at
the bottom, unable to set a time due to gearbox and hydraulic problems. Top
6: Kubica, Rosberg, Bourdais, Nakajima, Massa, Vettel.
Qualifying: Massa just beat Hamilton to pole. The Toro Rossos were
good again with Vettel 6th and Bourdais in 10th making
it to Q3 for a change. Despite his lack of practice, Jarno topped the times
in Q1 and later took 7th on the grid. Timo failed to make it out
of Q2 and had to settle for 13th, just behind Alonso (Renault
having a rubbish session and Alonso making a mistake). The Force Indias and
Hondas plus Coulthard failed to get out of Q1. Next to leave in Q2 with
Alonso and Glock were Piquet, Webber and Nakajima. Top 10: Massa, Hamilton,
Kubica, Raikkonen, Kovalianen, Vettel, Trulli, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Bourdais.
After qualifying, Timo Glock avoided a penalty when the stewards did not
agree with Heidfeld that he had been impeded in Q2 ….how many complaints is
that now by Heidfeld?
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Overcast but dry. Air 26-27°C, track 30-31°C
Best 2008 grid position: 3rd Jarno Trulli (Malaysia)
Best 2008 race result: 2nd Timo Glock (Hungary)
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Fine performance despite missing morning practice PROVISIONAL GRID:
7th
FP3 20th Best Lap Time: No lap time Laps: 2
Q1 1st Best Lap Time: 1m 37.948s (fastest) Laps: 10
Q2 4th Best Lap Time: 1m 37.928s (+0.086s) Laps: 5
Q3 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 40.309s (+1.320s) Laps: 6
"After
our difficult practice yesterday, we completely changed my set-up for today. Then
we had a gearbox oil pump problem this morning that meant I could not try it
out. So in a way I was driving blind this afternoon but I used my experience,
I concentrated very hard and I made it through into Q3. I made a mistake on
my last run but I am still very happy with what we achieved today. I'm also
delighted with the way the car is developing and the fact that we can always
fight for the top ten and score points. That is again our target tomorrow.
It's important and realistic and it will be an interesting race. Here, more
than anywhere, anything can happen and it should be a great event."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: Strong Q1 but missed out on the final shoot-out PROVISIONAL GRID:
13th
FP3 16th Best Lap Time: 1m 39.919s (+1.165s) Laps: 22
Q1 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 38.532s (+0.584s) Laps: 8
Q2 13th Best Lap Time: 1m 38.499s (+0.657s) Laps: 6
"I
don't know what went wrong but I just didn't get the lap together in the
second session and that was that. We definitely had the chance to be higher,
in the top ten, but it was a difficult qualifying in the end. For me the
prime tyres seemed to work better but I struggled to get temperature into the
tyres in the first sector of my last lap in Q2. So it was just not my day
today. I had a heavy cold overnight and didn't feel particularly well, but no
excuses. I think the car was good enough but it just didn't work out. Of
course we will do our best to make up positions tomorrow. There could be
safety car periods so we will aim to make the most of our freedom with the
strategy."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"Altogether it has been a very difficult day and a disappointing
qualifying result. Yesterday we had a very competitive Friday, especially
with Timo, and now things have turned around. Jarno did a fantastic job
because he could not run in P3 this morning due to a gearbox oil pump
problem. But that did not stop him and all his laps apart from his last lap
in Q3 were very good. For Timo, today was not as successful as yesterday. He
was on the pace in Q1 but Q2 did not go as expected so we will have to
investigate what happened. After the overnight rain the track was green again
today but the tyre situation is clear. The positive thing for us is that we
are in good position to defend against safety cars tomorrow and make sure
that both cars are not caught out by the same safety car period."
22nd August 2008
European
Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Friday practice often turns up some surprises and today
the fastest driver in the first session was Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel.
What’s more, his team mate Sebastien Bourdais was P4 so the team were going
well on the dirty track. The circuit is new to everyone so there were a few
spins and slides and visits to the run off areas. The only driver to actually
hit the barriers though was David Coulthard. The Toyotas were 12th
(Jarno) and 12th. Top 6: Vettel, Massa, Hamilton, Bourdais,
Kovalianen, Kubica.
Session 2: A bit more usual result in the second session saw
Raikkonen’s Ferrari fastest. But Alonso was second in his second home GP,
followed by Button! Timo was 7th and Jarno 15th, with a
few set up issues. Top 6: Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Massa, Hamilton,
Kovalainen.
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Sunny and hot. Air 27-31°C, track 28-45°C
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: Two strong practice sessions, ending with the 7th quickest time of
the afternoon
P1 14th Best Lap Time: 1m 42.036s (+1.540s) Laps: 27
P2 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 39.967s (+0.490s) Laps: 32
"It's
always enjoyable to come to a new venue and I'm impressed. It was pretty hot
out there but the track is good fun and the layout is interesting. I like
street circuits because I raced on so many of them during my time racing
Champ Car in America but apart from the harbour and the buildings this
doesn't really look like a street circuit because it has long straights. We
had a good day. The first practice was a bit difficult and the track was very
dusty but we expected that. The afternoon was much better and the car got
more and more into the set-up window. I hope we can keep going in this
direction because it has been a productive day."
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: A busy day of practice, running without problems but struggling to
find the best balance
P1 12th Best Lap Time: 1m 41.930s (+1.434s) Laps: 27
P2 15th Best Lap Time: 1m 40.877s (+1.400s) Laps: 32
"That
was not a particularly good day for me. We need to adjust the car balance so
we will have to look into it tonight. The track is good, though, and I like
it. In karting we used to race on a lot of street circuits so learning it
doesn't take long. But you need to find a compromise on set-up because there
is a mix of slow corners and higher-speed sections with long straights. The
most important thing is how much the surface will change during the weekend.
The asphalt is quite smooth and while it was predictably slippery today, the
grip should improve so it will be hard to get the set-up right."
Dieter
Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"The most important thing when you go to a new track is to make it
through your programme without any technical problems, which was the case
today. On the first day at a new track we amend our usual plan. Today we
carried out more long runs both at the start of P1 to learn the circuit and
at the end of P2 to help judge the tyre behaviour because we have no
reference here. Apart from that you aim to find the balance and the right
downforce levels. There doesn't seem to be a lot of grip around and it didn't
improve as massively as we would have expected. Still, we're quite happy with
where we are with Timo but Jarno is struggling a bit with an inconsistent
balance. So we will have to look into that and fix it for tomorrow."
18th August 2008
European
Grand Prix - Preview
Panasonic
Toyota Racing returns to action after Formula 1's summer break with the
European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia, Spain this weekend. The
European Grand Prix was held for the last nine years at the Nburgring in
Germany but switches to Spain this weekend at the new 5.419km circuit on the
streets around the city's America's Cup port. The circuit, which boasts 25
corners, takes the cars around the waterfront and even across the mouth of
the harbour, over a distinctive swing bridge. With a glamorous location and
yachts moored just metres away, the venue has drawn comparisons to Monaco but
the characteristics of the circuit itself are likely to be very different,
with a top speed of over 320km/h predicted and downforce in the middle of the
range. That means the aerodynamic package will be similar to the one used at
Hockenheim, but with some small updates throughout and with the option to use
the 'shark fin' engine cover again. After a 10-point haul in Hungary, which
saw Timo Glock equal the team's best result of second place, expectations are
high this weekend and Toyota aims to leave Valencia with more points.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11): "The track looks amazing and the location
is fantastic so I am really looking forward to this Grand Prix. The team has
worked hard to prepare for this race because it is a new track for all of us
but from a driver's point of view the important thing is to drive it for the
first time and then you can start to understand more about the circuit. I
enjoy going to new venues because they are a new challenge and there is
always something to discover; every race is unique and I like that. Even
though this is a new track for us, I know Valencia pretty well from all the
testing we have done at the other circuit there. It is a lively city and
there always seems to be something going on so it should be a fun weekend. I
am expecting a competitive weekend as well because at the moment we are
looking quite strong. Scoring more points is our target and if we challenge
for the podium again, that would be great."
Timo Glock (Car 12): "I'm still smiling after Hungary. That was an
incredible result and a fantastic feeling; I hope it will be the first of
many podiums in Formula 1. The important thing was that we showed just how competitive
we are at the moment and moved further ahead in fourth place in the
Constructors' Championship. There is a great atmosphere in the team and we
are all working hard together to move forward, which is why it was so
satisfying to get on the podium in Hungary. But Valencia is a new race and we
must start again. I did plenty of street races when I was racing in Champ
Cars and in that season almost all the tracks were new to me so I have learnt
to adapt quickly. It looks like an interesting circuit and it's quite long so
it should be a good show. We will have plenty of work to do on Friday to
adjust the car to the track but we are in good form at the moment so I am
optimistic for this weekend."
Pascal
Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "We are well prepared for
Valencia. Of course, we started our preparations for this new track by
looking at the FIA information and that allowed us to put forward some speed
profiles in order to estimate downforce and braking requirements, for
example. We also sent staff to look at the inaugural race meeting there at
the end of July and that gave us additional data with regards to speed
profiles, driving lines and track surface. We expect the track to be in the
mid range of downforce and quite severe on brakes. At the beginning we
anticipate grip will be quite low but that should improve throughout the
weekend. In terms of performance, we clearly want to build on the
competitiveness shown in Hungary. We are genuinely challenging to be the
third quickest car based on the last few races. Valencia will also show how
well teams can react to new conditions so it will be an interesting weekend
and we have every reason to be feeling very positive."
3rd August 2008
Hungarian
Grand Prix – Race
ITV’s Lucky Lewis Show continues un-abated as the whole pre-race
programme seems to revolve around the McLaren driver. During the love fest,
James Allen claims Lewis has ‘an air of invincibility’ about him. Shame,
then, that Felipe Massa hasn’t read the script and passes Lewis and his team
mate Heikki Kovalainen at the start. To make things worse, as James Allen
goes into shock, this race’s co-commentator Damon Hill also fails to toe the
party line and says “Just what we needed…”.Shock, horror, call Sychophants
Anonymous for the rest of the ITV team! But don’t tell us Lewis is not lucky,
because although he gets a puncture, cause to be determined (Hint:
Bridgestone guy: “ He made many flat spots, that is true…”) and he can only
manage 5th place, his team mate Heikki Kovalainen takes the win
once Massa’s Ferrari engine sadly gives up the ghost just THREE laps from the
end. As a result, Lucky Lewis ends up FIVE points ahead of his nearest rival
Raikkonen, who takes third place in the race. When he started he was only
FOUR points ahead (of Massa)….how did that happen??? Our Timo is second,
after a brilliant drive, a well deserved podium. We don’t mind at all Timo
finishing second when Jarno is 7th (two more points though)
because unlike some team mates we could mention, Timo is not arrogant at all.
Jarno also had a good pacy race but was stuck in traffic most of the time.
There are only two retirements both with mechanical problems, Vettel on lap
23, and Sutil on lap 63, but there was a bizarre series of mini fuel fires at
the end of refuelling for Bourdais (twice!), Nakajima and Barrichello, but
all reached the end of the race. As Nick Fry commented afterwards: “It
might be coincidence but it does seem to be a bit coincidental." Quite.
You can’t argue with that. ITV are not finished
though, with James going on about the “surprise winner” and “very unusual
podium”. Huh? There was a McLaren driver and a Ferrari driver, the only
unusual team today in podium terms is Toyota,,,,, and why not? It’s not
illegal. Top 8: Kovalainen, Glock, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Piquet,
Trulli, Kubica. (If Lucky Lewis wins the WDC all we can say is thank goodness
the BBC have the coverage next year)
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Sunny and dry, air 29-32°C, track 43-49°C
Constructors' Championship Points: 35 (4th)
Drivers' Championship Points: Jarno Trulli 22 (7th) Timo Glock 13 (10th)
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: From 5th, he made a strong getaway and gained a place into the first
corner. Ran comfortably in 4th place for the second stint and moved up to 3rd
after Lewis Hamilton's puncture. Then gained a further place with Felipe
Massa's late problem to take his first ever F1 podium and Toyota's best
finish of 2008.
Race Classification: 2nd (+11.061s)
Qualifying Classification: 5th Lap Time: 1m 21.326s (+0.427s in Q3) Grid: 5th
"What
an incredible feeling. I couldn't believe it when I saw Felipe's engine go
and I was P2. To get such a good result in my first year is fantastic so a
huge thank you to all the team, including the engineers, mechanics and
everyone at the factory. I knew from qualifying that we had good speed and
we've looked strong all weekend. Today I made a good start and gained a place
into the first corner. I had a really good car and everything went perfectly
until the last stint on the soft tyres. I was struggling a lot and soon I had
Kimi behind me. But I knew from last year here in GP2, when I was stuck in
the midfield in a really good car, how hard it is to pass here. So when I saw
him in the mirrors I knew I couldn't afford any mistakes. This result more
than makes up for Hockenheim and now we must keep picking up regular points
until the end of the season."
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Starting 9th, he lost a place into the first corner but made it back
with a fine passing move on Piquet shortly afterwards. Found himself stuck in
traffic for most of the race but battled hard. Just failed to pass Nelson
Piquet after the final stops but held on for two valuable points.
Race Classification: 7th (+36.449s)
Qualifying Classification: 9th Lap Time: 1m 21.767s (+0.868s in Q3) Grid: 9th
"This
is a very good result for us and to pick up ten points is great for the
constructors' championship. I'm glad for Timo because he has had a very good
weekend and fully deserves this result. This could have been better for me
too, despite my problems in qualifying. I was quick today but I couldn't push
because I only had one lap that was clear of traffic in the whole afternoon.
I gained one position early on but overtaking is practically impossible here.
Around the second stops I was also stuck behind Lewis, holding me up further.
Still, I'm delighted that we are showing such strong form and I just hope we
can carry on in good shape and with such good results."
Tadashi
Yamashina - Team Principal
"I really can't find the words to celebrate this result, the best of our
season. We had a few difficulties in practice but during qualifying the
drivers pushed themselves to the limit and things got better and better. Today
Timo did a fantastic race. We saw immediately that his car was quick and and
his third stint was almost perfect. He was under threat from Kimi but he was
quick in the third sector and he was able to fend him off. Jarno was quick as
well and pushed hard but he was blocked for most of the race he couldn't show
his pace until briefly in the last stint. So this is a stunning performance
and my thanks go out to the whole team and everyone working in the factory.
I'm very appreciative of all their hard work and next we will aim for the
centre of the podium."
2nd August 2008
Hungarian
Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice:
Hamilton was fastest in a quiet session, with Massa just behind, and
Timo Glock in P3. Jarno was 14th. Top 6: Hamilton, Massa, Glock,
Kovalainen, Piquet, Heidfeld.
Qualifying: Qualifying was dominated by the McLarens locking out the
front row with Lucky Lewis Hamilton on pole. Ferrari’s Massa came next but
his team mate Raikkonen had another strange qualifying, finishing P6, behind
our own Timo Glock who had a mega session. Jarno himself could only manage
P9. The Force Indias, Barrichello, Nakajima, and Heidfeld didn’t make it out
of Q1. Rosberg’s Williams had a hydraulic problem in Q2 so he was stuck in P15.
Also out in Q2 were the Toro Rossos, DC and Button. Top 10: Hamilton,
Kovalainen, Massa, Kubica, Glock, Raikkonen, Alonso, Webber, Trulli, Piquet.
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Sunny and dry. Air 30-31°C, track 38-44°C
Best 2008 grid position: 3rd Jarno Trulli (Malaysia)
Best 2008 race result: 3rd Jarno Trulli (France)
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: Quick throughout, his best ever qualifying in F1 PROVISIONAL GRID:
5th
FP3 3rd Best Lap Time: 1m 20.623s (+0.395s) Laps: 21
Q1 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 19.980s (+0.604s) Laps: 10
Q2 2nd Best Lap Time: 1m 19.246s (+0.178s) Laps: 6
Q3 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.326s (+0.427s) Laps: 8
"That
was a very good qualifying session for me and I'm obviously delighted. We
made a good start in first practice yesterday. The team did a good job
overnight and we made the right choice over set-up. It wasn't easy today
because we had a very tight choice over tyres so we had to make a close
decision for every lap. But in the end my engineers stayed cool and got it
right. In Q2 the car felt perfect. Then on the very last lap it was a bit
trickier again because the tyres didn't behave quite as well, but I'm happy
with P5. We are in a great situation for tomorrow. It's good for all of us
and after Hockenheim this is the perfect answer for the faith I have in the
whole team."
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Struggled for balance but still took 9th place PROVISIONAL GRID: 9th
FP3 14th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.601s (+1.373s) Laps: 18
Q1 3rd Best Lap Time: 1m 19.942s (+0.566s) Laps: 6
Q2 5th Best Lap Time: 1m 19.246s (+0.418s) Laps: 6
Q3 9th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.767s (+0.868s) Laps: 8
"I'm
glad to be in the top ten but that was a difficult qualifying session and P9
is disappointing. Since this morning I have struggled for grip and balance
and unfortunately we weren't able to find the answers in time. I had the same
problems in qualifying so we will have to investigate that tonight. I'm happy
for Timo, who has done a good job this weekend and it is clearly important
for us to score as many points as possible for the constructors'
championship. Overtaking is very difficult here but tomorrow is a very long
race and we will see what we can achieve."
Pascal
Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"From the pit wall that was a very exciting and pleasing hour of
qualifying. We were fighting in the top three for all the sessions, except
for the very last lap. We will investigate what happened but compared to the
outings before we slightly underperformed. Still, there is no room for
disappointment. Timo took his best ever grid position and he was very strong
during all the sessions. We'll have to see what the fuel loads are tomorrow
but when all the cars were at low fuel he was consistently in the top three.
Jarno struggled for balance so we will look into the data tonight. The tyres
were a very close call today but we organised our run plan so that we were
able to make the right decisions at the right time and it worked out. Now we
have a strong position for the race tomorrow with both drivers."
1st August 2008
Hungarian
Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: As usual the session took a while to get going because
of the dusty nature of the track. By the end, Massa was fastest, followed by team
mate Raikkonen. Vettel had the worst session….only able to do 4 laps before a
mechanical problem struck. Timo was 6th and Jarno 10th,
which is good for Friday practice! Top 6: Massa, Raikkonen, Kovalainen,
Hamilton, Alonso, Glock.
Session 2: Vettel’s car obviously likes that part of the track
because after only 5 laps his car stopped there again! Poor lad sat out the
rest of the session. Hamilton finished quickest with Renault’s Piquet second.
Jarno was 9th, Timo 11th. Nakajima had the closest
call, nudging the barriers after a spin but able to continue. Top 6:
Hamilton, Piquet, Kovalainen, Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa.
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Dry with patchy cloud. Air 25-28°C, track
29-34°C
Toyota's Best Hungarian GP qualifying: 3rd Jarno Trulli 2005
Toyota's Best Hungarian GP race result: 3rd Ralf Schumacher 2005
Take Note: The TF108 features a high-downforce aerodynamic package here
including a new front wing
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: A full day's work en route to 9th in the second session
P1 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 22.457s (+1.476s) Laps: 25
P2 9th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.505s (+0.951s) Laps: 42
"As
usual here in Hungary it was a difficult Friday because of the dusty circuit.
It was hard to draw clear conclusions because there was tyre graining that
affected the car's performance and general balance. So we concentrated on
finding out what kind of behaviour we can expect from the tyres. I hope we
can have another strong weekend because I like this track, the car has been competitive
recently and we are looking to score more points."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: Two solid sessions of running, finishing 11th in the afternoon
P1 6th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.931s (+0.950s) Laps: 22
P2 11th Best Lap Time: 1m 21.662s (+1.108s) Laps: 39
"The
morning went well for me on the dirty track surface and we had no problems
with the car. In the second session the track changed, there was a bit more
grip and the car started to be a bit trickier to drive but overall this was not
a bad first day. Hopefully we can continue with this speed. If I can qualify
well and we can have the race pace we had in Hockenheim then a points finish
should be possible. After my accident in the last race I've completely
recovered. I tested at Jerez last week without problems, I passed a further
medical check yesterday and I felt fine driving the car today."
Dieter
Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Today's sessions went very smoothly and we were able to get through a
lot of work on aerodynamics and set-up. We had no problems on the carsso that
was a positive day for us. Obviously here you always have to be very careful
with the circuit evolution, because the track starts dirty and then picks up
a lot of rubber. This needs to be taken into account when we do our analysis
tonight. The option tyre seemed better suited to the track compared to Friday
last year and we can be pleased with what we have achieved today."
28th July 2008
Hungarian
Grand Prix - Preview
Panasonic
Toyota Racing turns its focus eastwards this weekend for the Hungarian Grand
Prix, the last race before Formula 1's traditional summer break. Held at the
twisty Hungaroring in Budapest since 1986, the Hungarian Grand Prix presents
a return to the kind of high-downforce aerodynamic package used at Monaco.
With 4.381km made up of 14 mostly tight turns, the Hungaroring has one of the
slowest laps on the calendar at an average speed of around 195km/h - 50km/h
slower than Monza. This requires a specific aerodynamic package for Hungary
which maximises downforce at the cost of drag on the track's short straights.
Therefore Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock will have high-downforce front and rear
wings, as well as other aerodynamic adjustments, available this weekend. Following
a difficult German Grand Prix, which saw the team's fine run of results come
to an end, a return to the points in Hungary is the clear target.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11): "I enjoy racing at the Hungaroring because
it is a challenging circuit which is good fun to drive. It's a narrow track
with a lot of corners in quite a short lap so it's not easy to overtake. That
means qualifying will be particularly important here. Usually we expect a
dusty track because it isn't used regularly and this is quite a challenge for
a driver because if you run off line you lose a lot of time, so you really
have to concentrate to avoid making even the smallest mistake. Normally this
race is one of the hottest of the year so you really need to be in good
condition to stay sharp throughout the race, although I have done my training
so it won't be a problem for me. I have usually been competitive in Hungary,
even if I have been a bit unlucky with results, so I am optimistic for the
weekend and I expect to score points again. We showed in qualifying at
Hockenheim that we can fight close to the front so our aim is to repeat that
pace and get back in
the points."
Timo Glock (Car 12): "After my incident at Hockenheim I am fine and raring
to go. I have had the chance to relax a little at home so I am definitely
ready for this weekend. Also, I had a day in the car at Jerez preparing for
the Hungarian Grand Prix and that went well. I enjoy visiting Budapest. I
went there on holiday a few years ago and it was a fun place and also I have
had some exciting races there, particularly in 2006. Obviously it's a twisty
circuit and we will have a different aero package for this race. I know the
guys at the factory are pushing extremely hard so I am sure we will be
competitive again. Qualifying will be really important this weekend because
overtaking is very difficult in a Formula 1 car. I have had some fun races in
GP2 in Hungary and overtaken a lot of cars but it's completely different in
Formula 1. Even though the result wasn't what I wanted in Hockenheim, I was
competitive in the race and fighting to finish in the top six so I am
optimistic again for this weekend."
Pascal
Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "In Hungary we have an
aerodynamic efficiency requirement which is different from our baseline car
and much closer to Monaco, so we will run a high-downforce specification. The
lay-out of the track also requires attention in terms of cooling, because the
average speed is lower and there is quite a lot of braking, so we always have
to be careful with cooling the brakes and engine. However, the main challenge
in Budapest is tyre related; lateral severity is quite high but the track is
quite low grip. You have to make sure you can get adequate heat into the
tyres without destroying them very quickly and this is not easy. We have made
further developments on our high downforce package since Monaco and we are
pretty happy with the results and looking forward to this race. We were in
the top six there last year so we are optimistic. It's going to be a tough
battle between now and the end of the year. It's tight with Red Bull, and
Renault is there too after the result in Germany, but it's our objective to
stay fourth in the Constructors' Championship. We are ready for the
challenge."
25th July 2008
Jerez
Test
Driver:
Kamui Kobayashi
Day 4: Heikki Kovalainen was fastest from Bourdais’ Toro Rosso. Toyota
had Kobayashi driving who propped up the time sheets in P10, having caused a
red flag by going off into gravel at the last corner in the first hour and
then stopping on track at the end of the session. Only other test driver was Grosjean for Renault who was 4th.
Ferrari ran the shark fin/anvil wing engine cover today: Massa was 5th.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing today wrapped up its four-day test at Jerez with
another solid day of work in the heat of the Spanish sun. Third driver Kamui
Kobayashi was in the cockpit, continuing the work begun by Jarno Trulli and
Timo Glock earlier in the week. Kamui spent the morning preparing for the
coming race at the Hungaroring. He carried out further aero comparisons as
track temperatures again reached the high Fifties in the afternoon beforea
late run on the 2009 Bridgestone slicks. Toyota will now switch its
attentions to next week's Hungarian Grand Prix wherethe teamwill look to make
a return to the points.
Kamui Kobayashi - Chassis TF108-04
Best lap time: 1m 20.878s
Position: 10th
Total laps: 90 Total
distance: 398.1km
"That
was a busy day of testing for us and it went well. We spent most of the day
working towards the race in Budapest next week and we made good progress.
Late on we switched our attentions to Bridgestone's slick tyres for 2009. The
track obviously changes quite a lot during the day here, becoming more
difficult for testing in the heat of the afternoon, but we weren't looking
for lap times. We had a lot of different aero parts to try, we completed our
programme and we collected some useful data."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"This has been another positive week of testing here. It is of course
helpful to have stable weather, even if the extreme heat means we have pushed
to maximise our running time in the morning sessions. Today Kamui did further
work on aerodynamics for the Hungarian Grand Prix anda runon next year's
slick tyres. We made it through a lot of useful work with no major issues.
Now we will push for a strong result next week in Budapest."
24th July 2008
Jerez
Test
Driver:
Timo Glock
Day 3: Webber was quickest from Piquet’s Renault, even though Piquet
had a brush with the wall at turn nine. Timo took over from Jarno and was 8th
quickest.
PRESS
RELEASE
Timo Glock returned to the track today for Panasonic Toyota
Racing for the first time since his heavy crash at Sunday's German Grand
Prix. Timo took to the cockpit for the third day of Toyota's four-day
programme at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. On another very hot day at the
track, the team continued its preparations for next week's Hungarian GP. Timo
had a busy day's running, working on set-up in the morning before aerodynamic
comparisons in the afternoon. He reported no ill-effects from his accident on
Sunday and he was just completing his programme when he stopped due to an
issue with the fuel system. Third driver Kamui Kobayashi will now take over
as scheduled to complete the test tomorrow.
Timo Glock - Chassis TF108-04
Best lap time: 1m 20.421s
Position: 8th Total
laps: 78 Total distance: 345.0km
"It
was good to get back in the car and that was a positive day's testing for us.
We pushed hard in the morning and we were able to get through most of our
plan for the day before lunch. That was useful because in the afternoon here
it gets too hot and the track is just too slow to get a clear picture out of
the car. Late on we had a fuel system issue but we had already gathered the
data we wanted. The main thing is that I've made a full recovery from my
accident on Sunday and I feel fine."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"Today we ran through a similar programme with Timo to what we completed
with Jarno yesterday. In the morning we concentrated on set-up for the
Hungarian Grand Prix before we switched to aerodynamic tests. It was another
productive day of work and Timo made it through a lot of laps without
suffering any ill-effects from his accident at the weekend. We were close to
finishing our planned programme when an issue with the fuel system brought
our day's running to a close. Tomorrow we will round off the week's work with
Kamui at the wheel."
23rd July 2008
Jerez
Test
Driver: Jarno Trulli
Day 2: Vettel was fastest again for Toro Rosso, from De la Rosa in the
McLaren. Jarno was driving again for Toyota and was 8th quickest. Some
drivers were on slicks and some on slicks for part of the day. Force India
arrived in the shape of test driver Liuzzi. Other test drivers apart from De
la Rosa were Wurz for Honda and Klien for BMW.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing continued working at Jerez for the second day of this
week's four-day test. On another sweltering day under the Andalusian sun,
Jarno Trulli returned to the cockpit of the TF108. After yesterday's work on
2009 tyres he switched focus back to this year's car, concentrating on
preparations for next week's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. He spent the
morning working on set-up for the Hungaroring, before switching to
aerodynamic comparisons in the afternoon. Overall he put in 81 laps on a
trouble-free day of running. Timo Glock will take over tomorrow, having
received the all-clear to drive after his heavy accident at the German GP.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-04
Best lap time: 1m 20.534s
Position: 7th Total
laps: 81 Total distance: 352.3km
"After
yesterday's preparations for 2009, today we went back to this year's work.
Our focus for the day was the Hungarian Grand Prix, looking at set-up this
morning because the afternoons here are too windy and too hot for that. After
lunch we worked on aerodynamic correlation between the circuit and the wind
tunnel. We tested some of the aero package for Hungary and there is more to
come later in the week. We made it through a lot of laps and made progress.
Today wasn't about looking for lap times but about improving the car. We are
in a close fight for 4th in the constructors' championship and that is what
we want to achieve."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"The heat continues to be so strong here that we changed our programme
around today. We carried out our set-up work for the Hungarian Grand Prix in
the morning while the track was in its best condition. After lunch we
concentrated on aerodynamic comparisons for the same race. The Hungaroring is
one of the highest downforce tracks on the calendar so we worked on the
package that we will use there. It's been a productive day with no major
problems."
22nd July 2008
Jerez
Test
Location: Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera,
Spain
Driver: Jarno Trulli
Track Length: 4.423km
Day 1: All the teams except Force India started testing in Jerez with
mostly test drivers although Jarno, the only race driver, was on duty for
Toyota. He spent the day on slick tyres with 2009 levels of downforce so his
P7 is even more meaningless than usual in testing. Vettel was fastest for
Toro Rosso, from Paffett’s McLaren. BMW had to abandon the work they were
doing with KERS when a mechanic suffered an electric shock from the car.
Hence Klien only managed 3 installation laps.
PRESS
RELEASE
Less than 48 hours after Sunday's German Grand Prix, Panasonic
Toyota Racing returned to the track at Jerez today. In the blistering heat of
the south of Spain, Jarno Trulli was at the wheel for the first action of
this week's four-day test. He spent the day on Bridgestone's new slick tyres
as part of the team's early preparations for 2009. Running with a
low-downforce package, he had a trouble-free day and completed nearly 100
laps. Tomorrow Jarno will continue as Toyota starts working towards the
Hungarian Grand Prixon August 3. Timo Glock will take over on Thursday after
he was cleared to drive following his heavy shunt at Hockenheim. Third driver
Kamui Kobayashi will complete the test as scheduled on Friday.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-04
Best lap time: 1m 21.459s
Position: 7th Total
laps: 96 Total distance: 424.6km
"After
a string of races and tests with mixed weather, it feels really hot here at
Jerez. Today we have been concentrating on the new Bridgestone slick tyres
for 2009. For that reason we have run with lower downforce to simulate the
aerodynamics package that we will have next season. We have made a good start
and collected some interesting data for the development of next year's car.
Tomorrow I will begin work to prepare for Hungary."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"Apart from two installation laps, we spent the whole day working on the
new tyres for 2009. It is the third time that we've tried them but we
completed very little mileage on either of our previous attempts. So this was
our first full day of running and we spent our time looking at different
set-ups. The car ran without problems despite the extreme heat and wegathered
a lot of information that will help us with our plans for next season."
20th July 2008
German
GP – Race
ITV were extremely excited because Lucky “I did a fantastic job”
Lewis won again. They were a bit depressed when it looked like McLaren had
messed up with the strategy but thanks to team mate Kovalainen, Ferrari
driver Massa and Renault’s Piquet just about waving him through, Lew got back
to the front. It’s understandable that Nelson Piquet didn’t want to risk his
second place, but what was Felipe thinking? Possibly the same, as his team
mate was behind him on track and in the points. Jarno lost a place to Kubica
at the start and a point at the end when Vettel got past him, which must have
been frustrating as he had been fighting the Red Bull all day and keeping
ahead of him. So Jarno finished 9th. Timo had a big accident that looked
like a mechanical failure on lap 37 when he was the first retiree. The
subsequent safety car didn’t help strategy either and Jarno dropped back
after the pit stop during the safety car. Fisichella was later penalised 25
seconds for getting in a muddle and unlapping himself when he was not
supposed to during that period. Only two other retirements: Barrichello on
lap 52 after tangling with Coulthard who also had to pit for a front wing,
and Webber with an engine failure when it wasn’t even going fast behind the
safety car (lap 41). Good to see Piquet on the podium which probably caused
Alonso some gnashing of teeth. Massa hung on for third. Top 8: Hamiliton,
Piquet, Massa, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Kubica, Vettel.
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Sunny, air temperature 22-23°C, track
temperature 28-34°C
Constructors' Championship Points: 25 (4th)
Drivers' Championship Points: Jarno Trulli 20 (7th); Timo Glock 5 (16th)
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Ran strongly in top six on option tyres for first two stints but
switch to primes saw him slip out of the points late on.
Race Classification: 9th (+37.199s)
Qualifying Classification: 4th Lap Time: 1m 16.191s (+0.525s in Q3) Grid: 4th
"That
was a disappointing race for me because we had high hopes of scoring points
today. Everything was looking good early in the race but after our second
stop, when we switched our strategy because of the safety car, it became
really difficult. I was having problems with the balance. I struggled a lot and
in the last 10 laps it was really tough. But I was in eighth place and
fighting really hard to get a point. I was holding off Vettel but
unfortunately I locked up the front and couldn't recover so I lost the
position. After that I lost more pace and wasn't able to push as hard as I
wanted."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-02)
Summary: Long first stint lifted him into points but heavy accident on lap 36
ended his race.
Race Classification: DNF
Qualifying Classification: 11th Lap Time: 1m 15.508 (+0.905s in Q2) Grid:
11th
Team statement: "Timo is fine and there are no physical signs of injury.
He has been taken to a hospital for further precautionary checks. Further
updates will be given as soon as they are available."
Tadashi
Yamashina - Team Principal
"For us the priority is that Timo is okay. At the moment it is too early
to determine exactly what the cause of the incident was but of course we are
investigating. He was doing a strong race and was looking set for another
points finish so it was a real pity. Timo's accident brought out the safety
car and that was a key point for Jarno, because he pitted and changed to
prime tyres. He was not happy with the balance of the car after that and his
pace suffered. Here as well we have to analyse more the reasons for this
because, after the outstanding pace we showed earlier in the weekend, this
was unexpected. It has been a difficult day but we must look forward and
fight to have both cars in the points at the next race."
19th July 2008
German
GP – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice
Kovalainen was quickest, followed by Massa. Jarno was 6th
and Timo 14th. There were few incidents apart from Sutil spinning
into the gravel on his last run. Top 6: Kovalainen, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso,
Vettel, Trulli.
Qualifying
Hamilton took pole again, but more notably, Jarno took P4!!!
Timo just missed out on Q3 and will start the race 11th on the
grid. Only 1.7 seconds separated the field in the end so it was very close
but someone has to go out in Q1 and it was the Force Indias again,
Barrichello, Piquet and Nakajima. After Q2, along with Timo, we had lost
Button, Rosberg and Heidfeld. Top 10. Hamilton, Massa, Kovalainen, Trulli,
Alonso, Raikkonen, Kubica, Webber, Vettel and Coulthard. Funny how in the
press conference, the only drivers Hamilton could remember being somewhere
near him, apart from his team mate and Massa, were Vettel and Webber!
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Sunny, air temperature 24-25°C, track
temperature 29-35°C
Best 2008 grid position: 3rd, Jarno Trulli (Malaysia)
Best 2008 race result: 3rd, Jarno Trulli (France)
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Comfortably made it through Q1 and Q2 before a brilliant final lap
in the last seconds delivered a second-row start. PROVISIONAL GRID: 4th
FP3 6th Best Lap Time: 1m 16.133s (+0.512s) Laps: 25
Q1 6th Best Lap Time: 1m 15.560s
(+0.639s) Laps: 7
Q2 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 15.122s
(+0.519s) Laps: 6
Q3 4th Best Lap Time: 1m 16.191s
(+0.525s) Laps: 8
"It
was a very good performance so I am really happy. The car handled very well
and we made many small changes through the session to get closer and closer
to the perfect balance. At the very end of Q3 I put in a very strong lap to
give me fourth position, which was very satisfying. I am particularly happy
for the team because they are working hard at the track and at the factory so
it is a pleasure for me to show such a good performance. We have a good
chance tomorrow now, even if it will be difficult to battle with Ferrari and
McLaren. We will do our best and we know we are competitive so I am confident
we can have a good result again. Clearly the goal is to score plenty of
points and fight for the best possible finish."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-02)
Summary: Easily reached Q2 after setting exactly the same lap time as Jarno
and looked set for top 10 but lost out by less than 0.03s. PROVISIONAL GRID:
11th
FP3 14th Best Lap Time: 1m 16.636s
(+1.015s) Laps: 27
Q1 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 15.560s (+0.639s)
Laps: 10
Q2 11th Best Lap Time: 1m 15.508s
(+0.905s) Laps: 7
"Up
until the last lap it was not a bad qualifying because we easily made it
through Q1 and we were looking pretty strong in Q2, with a good chance of
getting into the top 10. But we couldn't improve on the last run when it was
really important. I don't know how many times I have just missed out on Q3 by
the tiniest of margins and it has happened again. It is extremely
disappointing but of course I will fight as hard as possible in the race and
we'll see what is possible."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We are very happy with this result, which is in line with a very good
test session we had here last week. We were busy in preparation for
qualifying because the grip conditions changed massively compared to the test
and we had to adjust our set-ups to reflect this. We were a little bit
cautious before qualifying because of the disappointment we felt at
Silverstone when we were not where we expected despite a very strong test.
This time we got it right and thanks to a great lap from Jarno we are in a
very good shape for tomorrow's race. Unfortunately Timo missed out on the top
10 when there was no doubt he had the potential to be there. He just lost a
little time on the second sector of his last lap but at least he can decide
his fuel strategy for tomorrow's race and that will help, especially if there
is a risk of rain."
New Partner Profile - Chiemsee
Toyota Motorsport GmbH will have a new official clothing supplier from 2009
after agreeing an exciting new partnership agreement with fashion and board
sports brand Chiemsee. As part of the agreement, Panasonic Toyota Racing
staff will wear a Chiemsee-designed range of clothing to all Grands Prix and
Formula 1 activities, while the company's logo will appear on the drivers'
overalls, team clothing and in the team garage.
18th July 2008
German
GP – Friday Practice
Session 1: The weather is dodgy yet again as the session starts wet
and gradually dries out after a further shower of rain. The drivers changed
to dry tyres about half way through the session and Hamilton ended up
quickest from his team mate. There was a lot of sliding about but the only
driver to graze the barriers was Kubica
who spun entering the stadium section. Jarno was 17th and
Timo 13th. Top 6: Hamilton, Kovalainen, Massa, Alonso, Raikkonen,
Rosberg.
Session 2: This session was completely dry with little incident.
Fastest was Hamilton again, followed by the 2 Ferraris. Jarno was 12th
and Timo 16th. Webber had a clutch problem early on but recovered
to be P5. Jarno was 12th and Timo 16th. Top 6:
Hamilton, Massa, Raikkonen, Kovalainen. Webber, Alonso.
PRESS RELEASE
Today's Weather: Showers in the morning but dry for the
afternoon. Air temperature 21-23°C, track temperature 24-36°C
Toyota's Best German GP qualifying: 7th, Olivier Panis, 2003
Toyota's Best German GP race result: 5th, Olivier Panis, 2003
Take Note: Jarno celebrated his 34th birthday last Sunday. Also last week, on
15 July, the life of the late Ove Andersson was celebrated in a memorial
ceremony at the Panasonic Toyota Racing factory.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Tried standard and extreme wets early in the morning session
before switching to grooves to carry out set-up comparisons. Dry tyre
comparison and further aero evaluation completed in P2.
P1 17th Best Lap Time: 1m 17.556s (+2.019s) Laps: 29
P2 12th Best Lap Time: 1m 16.530s (+1.505s) Laps: 45
"It
was a normal Friday for me. We did a lot of set-up work and evaluated the new
aerodynamic package. It all went very smoothly and we had no problems so we
have a lot of information to help us tomorrow. Now we will wait to see how
competitive we are. As usual I have come here wanting to fight for the
points. We had a successful test here last week, I did a lot of laps and got
a lot of mileage but I don't want to be overly optimistic as it depends on
many things and the battle is very close. We will fight hard tomorrow to
achieve the best possible grid position and then battle for points."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-02)
Summary: Also worked on set-up and tyres without any mechanical problems.
Evaluated different aerodynamic solutions. Also had airborne moment at final
corner after running wide.
P1 13th Best Lap Time: 1m 17.185s (+1.648s) Laps: 28
P2 16th Best Lap Time: 1m 16.781s (+1.756s) Laps: 44
"The
first session this morning was pretty good despite the changing track
conditions but in the second session the car felt completely different. It
was difficult to drive and the wind was changing, so it was pretty tricky to
find the right way in terms of set-up. Also I ran wide at the last corner and
the car was launched into the air so we need to look carefully to make sure
it is okay. We have to analyse all the set-up data and work out which
direction to go in tomorrow. I have always had a good experience here at
Hockenheim and in the test last week we looked pretty good. Qualifying in the
top 10 should be possible."
Dieter
Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a trouble-free day which is always good because that allowed us
to run through our complete programme without any delays or interruptions. We
did a lot of work on the car, looking at different set-ups and comparing the
tyre options. We spent much of the day evaluating our aerodynamic options and
we will study the data tonight to determine which one to use. After the rain
this morning the circuit was definitely different compared with what we
experienced at the test here and the car was not behaving in the same way.
That is something we have to look into overnight and make the necessary
changes in time for qualifying. In general we are reasonably happy with what
we have achieved today and we are optimistic for the rest of the weekend."
14th July 2008
German
GP - Preview
PRESS RELEASE
GLOCK AROUND THE HOCK
Panasonic Toyota Racing enjoys a home race this weekend when Formula 1
returns to Hockenheim for the first German Grand Prix since 2006. The track is
just two hour's drive south from the team's technical centre in Cologne, and
even closer to Timo Glock's family home in the Odenwaldkreis region. This
weekend's race will be the 26-year-old's first German Grand Prix but
Hockenheim is familiar hunting ground for a driver who rose through the
domestic German racing ranks. Timo won his last race at Hockenheim, in GP2 in
2006, and both he and team-mate Jarno Trulli are expecting to fight for
points this weekend. The team enjoyed a successful test at Hockenheim last
week, establishing baseline set-ups for the German Grand Prix as well as
trying out various aerodynamic upgrades. After moving into fourth in the
Constructors' Championship thanks to Jarno's seventh place at Silverstone,
Toyota aims to strengthen its hold on that position at Hockenheim.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11): "Hockenheim has changed a lot since I
first raced there in Formula 1, when it was all about top speed. I personally
preferred the old long circuit, with the extremely fast straights in the forest,
but the new version is still quite interesting and there are opportunities to
overtake. We had a promising test last week at Hockenheim which was very
useful because we have not raced there for two years and we had the chance to
study set-ups and tyre behaviour. That was the first time we have used the
current Bridgestone Potenza tyres at Hockenheim and it was important to
understand their characteristics at this circuit. We made good progress with
some new aero parts and hopefully this track will suit our car. I have
finished in the points for the last three races which shows how competitive
we are at the moment, so my target this weekend is to again score points and
fight for the top six. I am optimistic as usual."
Timo Glock (Car 12): "Hockenheim is one of my favourite circuits. It is
only 45 minutes away from where I grew up so it is my home race. That means I
will have friends and family coming down to watch me so it will be a special
race for me and I hope it will be a successful one. Usually I have good races
at Hockenheim and I've won a few times, which is another reason why I enjoy
racing there so much! To have a good race there it is important to have
strong top speed but there is also the last sector where there are slower
corners, so you have to find the right balance. In the end I think it is a
good mix of different corners and it's a fun track to drive. It was
disappointing not to score points in difficult conditions at Silverstone
because the opportunity was there but I am not downhearted; in fact I am
really looking forward to this race and I expect to have a good weekend. It
is important to me to perform well at my home race and I'm feeling good.”
Pascal
Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "The new Hockenheim circuit is
more average in terms of its characteristics than the previous lay-out. The
braking energy is in the middle of the range and the downforce level is now
medium to medium-high. What is normally above average is the temperature and
that is what is responsible for the tyre blistering that we have sometimes
seen. The ambient and track temperatures are often extremely high and I'd say
that is the only real outstanding characteristic. This will be the first time
that we have been to Hockenheim with the current tyres. Bridgestone's choice
of the two hardest compounds in the range is conservative because Hockenheim
is a medium severity track, a little like Magny-Cours. We are expecting a
level of performance more in keeping with our display at Magny-Cours than
Silverstone. That means we are hoping to be near the front again. Actually,
Magny-Cours and Hockenheim are now very similar in terms of car configuration
so we are expecting to go well."
10th July 2008
Hockenheim
Test
PRESS RELEASE
Location:
Hockenheim, Germany
Driver: Jarno Trulli
Track length: 4.574kms
Day 3: Toyota tried out an anvil wing with the car in the hands of
Jarno, but only for one lap. Jarno worked hard to complete a massive 129
laps, covering all sorts of set ups with no mechanical issues. He was second
to last in the times but not bothered. Massa was fastest. Fisichella crashed
his Force India at the Sachskurve in the afternoon.
FLYING
FIN
Jarno Trulli took over from Timo Glock to conclude Panasonic Toyota Racing's
three-day test programme at Hockenheim. Like Timo on Wednesday, Jarno used a
'shark fin' engine cover for his installation lap to test the stability of
the configuration but then reverted to a standard engine cover as a base for
the day's testing. Jarno focused on the upcoming German Grand Prix at
Hockenheim, working on different aerodynamic set-ups as well as getting
experience of the medium and hard Bridgestone Potenza tyres in use next
weekend. He enjoyed a reliable day's running and finished with 129 laps in
the book. The team's next action also comes at Hockenheim, when practice for
the German Grand Prix begins next Friday.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-04
Best Lap Time: 1min 16.065s
Position: 9th
Total laps: 129
"We
concentrated mainly on aerodynamic experimentation and also did some brake
and tyre comparisons. I got through a busy schedule and did more laps than
anyone today. It will give us a lot of data to maximise the car set-up at
next week's German Grand Prix. There were no mechanical issues, we completed
what we needed to do and I'm happy."
Gerd
Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"It has been a busy and varied three days with Kamui in the car on the
opening day, followed by Timo and then Jarno. We have done a lot of
aerodynamic and brake work as well as evaluating the Bridgestone compounds
that will be available to us next week in quite varying conditions. We have a
lot of data to work through in Cologne and I want to thank everyone for their
efforts."
9th July 2008
Hockenheim
Test
PRESS RELEASE
Location: Hockenheim, Germany
Driver: Timo Glock
Track length: 4.574km
Day 2: Hamilton stayed quickest and Timo took over for Toyota, and was 7th
of 12 (Toro Rosso and Force India using two drivers). The weather was mostly fine
although there was a shower early on. Toyota mostly tested front wings and
tyres,
TIMO IS
NEW WING MAN
Panasonic Toyota Racing continued its test programme at Hockenheim with Timo
Glock taking over from Kamui Kobayashi for day two. Timo, who was brought up
just 45 minutes away from the track, is preparing for his first-ever German
Grand Prix and took the opportunity to carry out some Hockenheim-specific
testing head of round 10 of the championship on 20 July. He completed a
lengthy programme of aerodynamic and mechanical work, completing a mammoth
114 laps in the process. Jarno Trulli will conclude the team's programme
tomorrow.
Timo Glock - Chassis TF108-04
Best Lap Time: 1min 15.995s
Position: 7th
Total Laps: 114
"It
was a good, solid day. We got through a lot of work. The weather was kinder
than Kamui had yesterday and we did more than 100 laps with no mechanical
problems. I was able to do some aerodynamic evaluations in the morning and
then did some brake and tyre comparisons in the afternoon. We worked towards
a base set-up rather than fine-tuning and I'm hoping to have a strong race in
front of my home supporters next weekend."
Dieter
Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"We had a very productive day. We had a number of different front wing
configurations to test, which took us most of the morning, and are quite
|