1st November 2009
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race
Abu Dhabi – nice hotel with LED lights that change colour! Also an interesting NCP car park feel to the pit lane exit! Keep changing who I most want to hit the wall coming out! No one does, but sure they will one day! Kamui looks the most likely today! Possibly Fisichella too, who gets caught for speeding in the pitlane, for goodness sake! An ignominious end to his Ferrari race, and possibly F1 career! Partly because he also finishes 17th and second from last (Sutil, never mind), although Kimi is only 12th. Two-stopping Jarno is 7th, just behind his one-stopping team mate Kamui Kobayashi in 6th. Hands up all who think Toyota fixed it this way! There are only 2 retirements. Unfortunately for the race leader and potential winner, one of them is him, Lewis Hamilton with rear brake problems. What a time for a mechanical failure! However, he isn’t having it all his own way at the time, as the Red Bulls are chasing hard, followed by Button. Webber and Barrichello have clashed on the first lap, causing damage to the Brawn, which finishes 4th behind team mate Button who makes the podium, just third though after an almighty battle with second placed Webber on the last couple of laps. Vettel wins the race. There are earlier fun and games in the Toro Rosso and neighbouring Red Bull pits, when Alguersuari pulls into the wrong one just as Vettel is due in for his pitstop: the Toro Rosso is quickly ushered on its way, only to retire on track with gearbox failure. Bye bye 2009 season! Top 8: Vettel, Webber, Button, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Kobayashi, Trulli, Buemi.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing finished the 2009 season on a positive note with a double points finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit this evening. Kamui Kobayashi gave a brilliant performance to score points in just his second Formula 1 race while Jarno Trulli finished in the top eight for the eighth time this season. Both drivers started on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres with Jarno battling hard on the opening lap to hold sixth spot as Kamui overtook Kimi Raikkonen into turn one to move into 11th. Jarno dropped a position on the second lap but then put in a series of quick times in the run up to his first pit stop, when he continued with medium rubber. On the same lap, the hard-charging Kamui, on a heavy fuel load and one-stop strategy, passed new World Champion Jenson Button for ninth. By the time his only pit stop arrived, he was running third while Jarno was battling in the top six. Kamui resumed the fight, now on soft tyres, and kept up a strong pace
to stay in contention for the top six. Jarno made a late pit stop for soft rubber and resumed just behind Kamui, with the two TF109s crossing the finishing line just a few seconds apart. That result gives Toyota 59.5 points and fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, while in the Drivers' Championship, Jarno is eighth (32.5pts), Timo Glock, who missed the final two races of the season due to injury, is 10th (24pts) and Kamui is 18th (3pts).
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
Grid: 12th
Race Classification: 6th (+28.343s)
Pit Stop Laps: 30
"It was a really good race for me. At the start I overtook (Kimi) Raikkonen and that was important in the end because it would have been difficult to finish in the top six if I had been behind him during the first stint. When I got past I was confident I had the race pace to fight for the points and my target was to be consistently fast. The team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stop which played a big part in helping me finish in the points. I certainly wasn't expecting to be racing in Formula 1 this season and I want to say thank you to Toyota for this opportunity. My target was to finish in the points today but I am a bit surprised to be in the top six. This is a fantastic result and I am extremely happy."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 6th
Race Classification: 7th (+34.366s)
Pit Stop Laps: 18, 42
"It was not an easy race for me. I made a good start and was fighting with the BMWs on the first laps, which was good fun, but I was struggling a little with traction. During the stint the rear tyres were degrading and then later braking consistency became an issue. I was pushing as hard as possible and putting in some good laps to fight for the top six. In the end I was seventh, which is not bad, and for the team the result is pretty good. Obviously Kamui drove really well and I am very pleased for him; he deserved this result."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"It was a great result for us to have both drivers in the points in the last race of 2009. Kamui did a fantastic job and we are very proud of him but Jarno also fought hard to get a strong result. This year the team, including everyone back in the factory in Cologne, has done a brilliant job. It's been a tough season but we have ended it in a positive way, so thanks to everyone in the team, as well as our sponsors and fans. I would like to offer my congratulations to the race organisers, who have done a fantastic job to create this incredible venue and also to the new World Champions, Brawn GP and Jenson Button, who achieved so much this season."
31st October 2009
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
Apart from Grosjean’s customary spins and Liuzzi’s brushing of a barrier there are no incidents to report. Alguersuari doesn’t get out at all as the Toro Rosso team work to fix a hydraulic problem. Button is fastest from Hamilton. Jarno is 7th, Kamui 13th. Top 6: Button, Hamilton, Barrichello, Buemi, Heidfeld, Kovalainen.
Qualifying
No incidents again, unless you count Alonso not making it out of Q1. His team mate Grosjean, the Force Indias, and Fisichella’s Ferrari all have the same experience, except Fisi is used to it by now. The other Ferrari of Raikkonen is eliminated inQ2, along with Alguersuari, Nakajima, Kobayashi and Kovalainen, whose car stops with a transmission fault. Jarno looks to be heading for the front row until right at the end of Q3 when he is pushed down to 6th. Hamilton takes pole after a fight with the Red Bulls. Top 10: Hamilton, Vettel, Webber, Barrichello, Button, Jarno, Kubica, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Buemi.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing completed Formula 1's first-ever twilight qualifying session today, for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the stunning new Yas Marina Circuit. Jarno Trulli earned his ninth top-six start of the year while Kamui Kobayashi, in just his second Grand Prix, again performed admirably. First qualifying began in natural sunlight, with both drivers completing an opening stint on the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres before switching to medium rubber to progress to the second session, with Jarno in third. When that began, the artificial lighting system was already necessary and the medium tyres again proved to be the rubber of choice, with both drivers putting in five timed laps towards the end. Jarno eased into the final session but Kamui missed out by just a tenth of a second, leaving him to start from the sixth row after his first dry Formula 1 qualifying experience. Jarno was fighting for the top three in third qualifying, again on medium tyres, but just slipped
out in the final seconds, leaving him on the third row for the final race of the season.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 7th, 1m 41.310s (+0.685s), 23 laps
1st Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 40.517s (+0.644s), 11 laps
2nd Qualifying: 5th, 1m 40.373s (+0.678s), 7 laps
3rd Qualifying: 6th, 1m 41.897s (+0.949s), 6 laps
"It was a difficult session because it was an extremely hard fight in hot conditions; the lap times were really close despite it being a long circuit. I felt I got it right in each session and I am happy with sixth place. It's fun to be fighting at the front of the grid so it was a nice experience again for me. Obviously you always want to be even higher but we have done a good job so far this weekend and we deserved to be in the top six. The car feels strong and I think we are looking pretty good for the race so I'm looking forward to the fight."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
3rd Practice: 13th, 1m 41.499s (+0.874s), 24 laps
1st Qualifying: 12th, 1m 41.035s (+1.162s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 12th, 1m 40.777s (+1.082s), 7 laps
"I was hoping to be in the top 10 here but it was my first time in Formula 1 to qualify in dry conditions, so I needed to get used to it. Free practice has gone well all weekend and the car felt good. Qualifying wasn't easy but in the end I was only a tenth or so away from the top 10 so for my first time qualifying in the dry it's not bad. I have been trying to focus on my race pace this weekend so I am quite confident for tomorrow. I will try my best and I hope to fight for the points again; we'll see what we can do."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"This qualifying was all about tyre compound selection and warm-up management, as well as avoiding the traffic. Generally we got it right even though of course we hoped to be a bit higher on the grid with both cars. Jarno was fighting for the top three all through the session and Kamui did very well for his second qualifying in Formula 1, his first in dry conditions. All in all it was a reasonably good result, our fuel load is competitive so we should have interesting race tomorrow. This is obviously the last race of the season and we definitely want to end on a high; we are in pretty good shape to do that."
30th October 2009
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Amazingly there are no bashes, smashes or crashes on this new circuit in the first session. It is dusty to begin with. There are a few spins at turn 19 as the drivers find the limit but no harm done. Hamilton is fastest, followed by Button and Vettel. Jarno is 10th and Kamui (instead of Timo again) is 19th. Top 6: Hamilton, Button, Vettel, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Buemi.
Session 2: The McLarens are top of the times in session 2, with Kovalainen the fastest. Kamui is 5th and Jarno 14th. This practice takes place at dusk, finishing in darkness as the race will be. Kubica has an engine failure in his BMW, but has another in reserve for the race so will have no penalty. Top 6: Kovalainen, Hamilton, Button, Vettel, Kobayashi, Buemi.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing got the final race weekend of its 2009 Formula 1 season underway today at Yas Marina Circuit with the opening practice sessions for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With qualifying and the race taking place at twilight, which means starting in daylight and ending under artificial lights, the drivers had the chance to experience both conditions today. Practice began in hot sun, with air temperatures hitting 35°C. The initial task for Jarno and Kamui was to learn the 5.554km circuit and adapt to its smooth track surface, which offered little grip at the start of the morning session. As more rubber went down, conditions improved and the team began its programme of set-up evaluations. Second practice also began in natural light but the sun soon set, leaving the artificial lights to take over. Having used only the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre in the opening session, second practice gave the drivers a chance to experience the soft options while also
fine-tuning set-up. The team will analyse the data gathered today to realise the TF109's full performance potential in qualifying and the race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 10th, 1m 44.958s (+1.019s), 25 laps
2nd Practice: 14th, 1m 42.409s (+1.102s), 30 laps
"I must say that was an enjoyable day for me and it was interesting to drive on the new track for the first time. It was good fun and I am looking forward to racing here. They have done a great job with the facilities and the track is really well built, so I am impressed. The first laps were difficult because there was just no grip, but that is normal for a new circuit like this and as the day went on the situation improved. Driving during twilight was a new experience for me and the view does change a little, with some shadows, but generally it is similar to Singapore so it's not a problem. All in all, the car seemed competitive and well-balanced so if we can improve again tomorrow we can have another strong weekend."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 46.364s (+2.425s), 28 laps
2nd Practice: 5th, 1m 41.636s (+0.329s), 34 laps
"Today went well and it was interesting to drive on this track for the first time; it is a fantastic venue. This is the second time in two weeks I have had to learn a new circuit so it is becoming a familiar experience. I learnt a lot from the Brazil weekend which has already helped me here in Abu Dhabi. It will also be helpful to have a completely dry weekend so I can really become familiar with the car and tyres on this track; that didn't happen in Brazil but I am confident it will this weekend! We have quite a lot of data from today and that will allow us to find areas to improve. I believe we can make another step in terms of performance before qualifying and then I will do my best to start as high as possible."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"First of all, big congratulations to the organisers who have created a really extraordinary and exciting facility here at Yas Marina. It is a pleasure to see the cars running around this track. For us it was pretty much a trouble-free day during which we focused initially on getting all the necessary information on the new track and allowing the drivers to get used to it. Everything went well and we also did some aerodynamic comparisons, mainly in the first session. In the evening session we looked more at the tyres and the results were largely as we expected; both compounds seem to be in a workable range so we can expect a consistent race. In terms of performance, as usual it is difficult to evaluate on a Friday but that is particularly true here because the effect of carrying more or less fuel is quite pronounced."
27th October 2009
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 1 November, 2pm CET
Round: 17 of 17
Venue: Yas Marina Circuit
Distance: 5.554km (55 laps)
Lap record: n/a
History: This year marks the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, although Formula 1 cars, including one from Panasonic Toyota Racing, completed a demonstration run there in February 2007.
Panasonic Toyota Racing reaches the end of a successful season with a trip to the United Arab Emirates for the first-ever Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held on the new Yas Marina Circuit. Not only is this weekend's race held at a new venue, it is also held in unique conditions with the race starting in daylight at 5pm local time but finishing in darkness and under floodlights 55 laps later. The track, which will become the 67th to hold a Formula 1 World Championship race, winds its way around Yas Marina through a series of 90° turns but also includes two long back straights where the cars are expected to reach over 300km/h. Toyota is looking to add to the 54.5 points it has scored already this season, having been unfortunate to miss out in the Brazilian Grand Prix when Jarno Trulli was involved in an accident while challenging for another podium finish. Kamui Kobayashi made an impressive Grand Prix debut in the same race and will again compete in Abu Dhabi in place of Timo Glock, who has a
cracked vertebra.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "It's been an up-and-down season for us with such a strong start followed by some disappointing races in Europe then a really competitive end to the year. As Abu Dhabi is a new track it's impossible to predict how we will perform but after the speed we showed in the last three races I am confident of finishing the year on a high. I was extremely frustrated to be eliminated by an accident in Brazil because we had looked very quick all weekend and I genuinely believe we had a fantastic chance of finishing on the podium. So I am confident for this weekend and I am really motivated to get another great result before the season ends. Abu Dhabi looks like another fantastic new venue and I am really interested to see what the track is like to drive so I can't wait for practice to begin on Friday."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10): "I am really looking forward to my second Grand Prix and I want to make the most of this unexpected chance. I didn't know the track in Brazil and that was a little bit of a disadvantage because almost all the other drivers had some experience of it. But that's not the case in Abu Dhabi; this is a new track for everyone so that should help me. I am also more familiar with the car now, as well as other procedures during a race weekend like pit stops and the two tyre compounds, so I expect to be more competitive in Abu Dhabi. I am sure the car will be strong and I will do everything I can to try to score my first points in Formula 1. Of course it will be extremely difficult because the field is very strong and this is just my second Grand Prix but I will give my all."
John Howett, President: "We are very much looking forward to the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which marks the end of an eventful and positive season for us. Even if we haven't yet achieved all our targets, we produced a very competitive car and when we made the most of its potential we were able to fight systematically for the podium. Having discussed the medical advice with Timo and his management, the team has decided to take no risk and to put Kamui in the car. He proved in very difficult circumstances in Brazil that he can compete in Formula 1 and we are looking forward to another gutsy performance. This track is again new to him but that is true for everyone, which should work in Kamui's favour, so we are expecting a strong display from both drivers."
19th October 2009
See what Jarno has to say about the accident with Adrian Sutil…..
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79623
18th October 2009
Brazilian Grand Prix – Race
Well done JB for becoming world champion, even though Webber wins the race and shares the podium with Kubica and Hamilton! Jenson’s rivals cannot keep the championship going with Barrichello getting a puncture 8 laps from the end when running 4th (finishing 8th) and Vettel’s 4th place from 15th not being enough. Also, Brawn takes the constructors’ crown. Jarno’s race ends on the first lap at turn 5, when he tries to pass Adrian Sutil round the outside and the Force India driver fails to notice Jarno is there. He is forced out on the kerb and then it ends in mud and grass, the grass chucking the Toyota into a race-ending spin and crash. The funniest part is watching Sutil bump across the grass and literally hop back onto the track in front of Alonso’s Renault which can’t avoid him and puts both cars out of the race. We have never seen Jarno so angry as he berates Sutil after running to speak to him, but it is later deemed a racing incident and Jarno is fined $10,000 for his aggressive behaviour. Even before this racing incident, contact with Vettel sends Kovalainen spinning into Fisichella, and Raikkonen breaks his front wing on the back of Webber’s Red Bull. As Kovalainen leaves the pits after repairs, he takes the fuel hose with him and it flicks back fuel into the path of Raikkonen’s Ferrari causing a small fire. McLaren are later fined $50,000 for this misdemeanour and the driver given a 25 second penalty, dropping him from 9th to 12th. Nakajima and Kobayashi clash, with the Williams losing its front wing on the back of the Toyota coming out of the pits and causing Nakajima to lose control and have a big accident into the Descida do Lago barriers. Heidfeld and Rosberg retire with mechanical issues. Jenson and Seb Vettel overtake several cars on their way through the field but JB’s 5th place is enough to secure the WDC. Top 8: Webber, Kubica, Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, Buemi, Barrichello.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing concluded the Brazilian Grand Prix with neither TF109 in the points after an eventful race at Interlagos in Sao Paulo. Kamui Kobayashi, standing in for the injured Timo Glock, made a commendable Grand Prix debut to finish in the top 10 but Jarno Trulli's challenge for another podium ended with an accident on the first lap. Jarno was fighting at the front when he was pushed wide at the exit of turn five, spinning into the wall. He was forced to retire on the spot but Kamui made impressive progress, defending his position into turn one then taking advantage of the drama to move into sixth. With a heavy fuel load, he coped well under extreme pressure from the cars behind but lost a position at the beginning of lap 25, before being briefly overtaken for seventh at the end of the same lap. However, he showed his fighting qualities by immediately reclaiming the spot and ran as high as third due to a long first stint on medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres. His
first pit stop in Formula 1 went smoothly and he resumed battle, again using medium compound tyres before a shorter final stint on super soft rubber. Despite the physically tough race on the anti-clockwise Interlagos track, he fought to the very end and earned a top-10 spot by passing the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella on lap 68. With a clear track ahead, Kamui took the chequered flag on his Grand Prix debut, finishing with a flourish by setting his fastest lap on the very last lap.
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
Grid: 11th
Race Classification: 10th (+1min 3.324s)
Pit Stop Laps: 30, 56
"It was a tough race for me. As this was my Grand Prix debut I experienced a lot of things for the first time in Formula 1 so it was a learning experience. Physically it felt like a really long race and it was quite tough. My first target was to finish the race and I am pleased to achieve that, but after the start I was in a decent position to score points so I am a little disappointed I didn't. The car felt good in the first stint but when I changed tyres the balance felt a different and I was struggling a bit; probably this was just down to experience. It was my first race so there are several areas to improve but overall I am happy with how I have performed this weekend and I would like to thank the team for all its support."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 4th
Race Classification: DNF
"I am extremely frustrated by what happened today because I had a very good chance to challenge for the podium. On the first lap (Adrian) Sutil was very slow through turn four because he was fighting with (Kimi) Raikkonen. He was on the inside so I took the outside line but he kept pushing me wider and wider. In the end I was on the grass and had no control of the car so I crashed into the wall at high speed. I think there was enough space for both of us to get around the corner."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"It is disappointing not to score points here because we had high expectations. Jarno was unlucky on the first lap and I feel really sorry for him because he had the chance to get another very strong result. So Kamui was the only Toyota in the race but he did a really good job, especially on a track he has never raced on before and after the difficult conditions earlier in the weekend. As we have come to expect from him, he battled really hard and also put on an exciting show for the fans. It was particularly impressive to see him overtaking another car at the end of a hard race and I am proud of his efforts."
18th October 2009
Jarno Awaits Toyota Budget Decision
Jarno has promised to wait until Toyota's decision about its 2010 budget plans in the middle of November before deciding on his Formula 1 future.
Although Toyota president John Howett has made it clear several times that he thinks it unlikely the Italian will be retained by the outfit, Trulli has revealed that he has agreed with Toyota's team principal Tadashi Yamashina not to commit to anything else for now.
"There is no news, because that's the way it's supposed to be," Trulli was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have a deal with Tadashi Yamashina, who has asked me to wait until 15 November, when Toyota decides its future in GP racing. I intend to respect this agreement, that's why I haven't made any moves to look for other solutions.
Now I don't know whether Toyota really wants to retain me or not. And with someone trying to denigrate me through the press... I've read many incorrect things about me. I haven't spoken with the team about my contract for at least two months. So, either someone is playing dirty or maybe this person has been misquoted. But I keep calm and good."
Jarno took the Toyota team out for dinner in Brazil to celebrate its recent successes - where he made clear that the majority of people at the team wanted him to stay in 2010 - despite team president John Howett's recent comments.
"We were around 80 people and I challenge you to find someone who doesn't want me to stay in this team next year. Except perhaps for one person."
17th October 2009
Brazilian Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
Might as well not have bothered. Torrential rain from a tropical storm reduces the session to 16 minutes. After much aquaplaning and spinning, with Grosjean off again and thumping the barrier at turn 5, at the end of the session Rosberg is quickest, followed by his team mate. Jarno is 8th and Kamui 20th and last. Top 6: Rosberg, Nakajima, Button, Alonso, Sutil, Grosjean.
Qualifying
The race will probably be crap after this! A marathon qualifying session, finishes 2 hours and 41 minutes later with Barrichello on pole in his home GP. It’s the rain’s fault. At one time we never think we’ll get past Q1, which begins on a wet track. Fisi spins and stalls in Q1 leaving him at the bottom of the grid. A couple of surprise exits from Q1 are Vettel and the McLarens, the latter definitely with dry set ups. Heidfeld also misses out. Torrential rain delays Q2 until it eases off enough for Q2 to start, but it quickly stops again when Liuzzi’s car aquaplanes into the inside and outside barriers approaching the Senna S. The session is red-flagged and there is a long delay before the rain eases off enough to start again. Finally Q2 starts again, and is followed by Q3 as normal. Kobayashi (P11), Algersuari, Grosjean, Liuzzi and unfortunately Button, are eliminated from Q2. Jarno is 4th, a great effort. Top 10: Barrichello, Webber, Sutil, Trulli, Raikkonen, Buemi, Rosberg, Kubica, Nakajima, Alonso.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing recorded a positive result in a severely rain-affected qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in Sao Paulo today. Jarno Trulli starts from a strong second-row position while Kamui Kobayashi, a replacement for the injured Timo Glock, will make his Grand Prix debut from 11th after an impressive effort. Heavy rain played havoc with proceedings having already restricted final practice to just 18 minutes this morning. The storms caused an eight-minute delay in first qualifying before both drivers ventured out on wet Bridgestone Potenza tyres. On a very wet track they both performed well to progress to the second session, which was initially delayed by 16 minutes due to the conditions then, after just two minutes of action, halted for one hour and 11 minutes. When the rain finally stopped, qualifying could resume and Kamui was desperately close to claiming a top-10 spot, dropping to 11th in the last seconds as Jarno, also on intermediate
tyres by now, progressed in the top three. Track conditions continued to improve in third qualifying, where Jarno used intermediate tyres to claim fourth place with his final flying lap.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 8th, 1m 24.859s (+1.677s), 5 laps
1st Qualifying: 11th, 1m 24.621s (+1.793s), 11 laps
2nd Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 20.635s (+0.267s), 10 laps
3rd Qualifying: 4th, 1m 20.097s (+0.521s), 8 laps
"It was a very intense qualifying session. In first qualifying the only target was to keep the car on the track and try to do a reasonable lap time because the conditions were horrible, with a lot of aquaplaning. It was extremely hard and the important thing was to stay focused; we managed to get through which was the important thing. In second and third qualifying it was much better and the car was running well so I was able to push harder. I enjoyed it because we were putting in some quick lap times on the right tyres and it's good to be on the second row. It would be nice to repeat the Japanese Grand Prix podium and I will be fighting hard."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
3rd Practice: 20th, 1m 30.259s (+7.077s), 4 laps
1st Qualifying: 7th, 1m 24.335s (+1.507s), 11 laps
2nd Qualifying: 11th, 1m 21.960s (+1.592s), 11 laps
"That was a very difficult session for my first qualifying experience in Formula 1. The conditions were really hard because from lap to lap the situation changed and there was a lot of aquaplaning. I have never driven this track in those conditions before so it was certainly not easy but the car felt good. I made a small mistake on my last lap in second qualifying so I missed out on the top 10 which I am a bit frustrated about. But overall, to qualify in 11th for my Grand Prix debut in conditions like that is a good result which is more than I expected so I am happy with it. We'll see how it goes in the race tomorrow; it would be great to score points and I will be doing my best to achieve that."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"A qualifying session of almost three hours is quite unique and I haven't experienced anything like it before in Formula 1. But the team and drivers performed well to stay focused and prepared through such a chaotic session. In the end we are pleased with the result, although we were targeting the front row. Both drivers did a very good job in difficult and changing conditions. Jarno showed he has the potential to score a lot of points tomorrow and we are really happy for Kamui. He missed on the top 10 by a tiny margin but 11th place in his first Formula 1 qualifying session is a great achievement, especially considering the weather. Now we are looking forward to tomorrow when the weather could play a part again, so it should be an interesting race."
16th October 2009
Brazilian Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: It’s raining. First of all it’s drizzling, then half an hour in, it’s raining properly. At least the cars came out quickly to get the ‘best’ of the conditions. When it eases off, out they come again but the session is almost immediately red-flagged when Grosjean runs wide and smashes a marker board. Later it rains again causing several spins. In the end, Webber is quickest, followed by Barrichello and Vettel. Jarno is 11th and Kamui Kobayashi, who replaces Timo this weekend, is 18th. Top 6: Webber, Barrichello, Vettel, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Nakajima.
Session 2: Remarkably little drama in the second session; even though the rain returns at the end, Liuzzi is the only major spinner at Laranja. Alonso is quickest, from Buemi. Jarno is 6th and Kamui 13th. Top 6: Alonso, Buemi, Barrichello, Webber, Button, Trulli.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing made a positive start to preparations for the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the 2009 season, at Interlagos in Sao Paulo today. Jarno Trulli, after his second place in the Japanese Grand Prix, was joined by Kamui Kobayashi, deputising for Timo Glock who injured his back at Suzuka. After an installation lap to begin first practice, Kamui left the garage 22 minutes in to complete his first serious laps of Interlagos. His first task was to learn the track having only previously experienced it in video games and on a scooter. He consistently improved his lap times while Jarno evaluated aerodynamic settings until a half-hour rain interruption. Both used the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres throughout and, despite late drizzle, completed a trouble-free session. In afternoon practice they again evaluated set-up changes and carried out comparison runs between the super soft and medium compound tyres while Kamui also continued to familiarise
himself with race weekend procedures. Despite grey clouds, the session stayed dry until the last 20 minutes, with Kamui performing commendably and Jarno also showing strong potential for the rest of the weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 11th, 1m 13.326s, (+0.863s) 26 laps
2nd Practice: 6th, 1m 12.605s (+0.291s), 37 laps
"Everything went well today and we did our usual Friday testing work. We had some rain in both sessions which makes things a bit harder than normal and particularly in the morning there wasn't much grip. But even though the weather disrupted things for us, we still went through quite a few set-up changes and it feels like we are moving in the right direction. The car seems pretty good on this track and I had no major problems so I hope we can continue this positive progress for the rest of the weekend. After the great result last time in Suzuka I am really motivated to keep up the momentum and I am optimistic we can do that."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-04)
1st Practice: 18th, 1m 14.029s (+1.566s), 27 laps
2nd Practice: 13th, 1m 12.869s (+0.555s), 40 laps
"It was a a nice experience to be starting a weekend as a Grand Prix driver for the first time. It was also my first time driving in Brazil; I found that the track is good fun for a driver and also very challenging. Our work went well; just the weather wasn't perfect with the showers which meant the track surface was not consistent. That made it difficult to properly judge the set-up and also to fully learn each corner because the conditions were changing during the sessions. In the end I found a good rhythm and the car felt competitive so it was a good day for me. There are still things we can improve and I'll be working hard with my engineers to prepare properly for my first Formula 1 qualifying sessions. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm confident."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Overall it has been quite a good start to the weekend for us despite the difficult conditions all day. The drizzle in both sessions was not ideal but nevertheless we did pretty much all the work we wanted to; we just had to adapt the programme a bit to account for the weather. The two tyre compounds behaved largely as we expected, with no problems although the option proved to be a little better than we thought over a long run. Especially considering the difficult track conditions, Kamui's performance is even more impressive on a track he hadn't driven before today. We can only be pleased with how he performed. As usual we now have to look carefully at the data and fine-tune the set-up to get the most out of the car for the rest of the weekend."
12th October 2009
Brazilian Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 18 October, 6pm CET
Round: 16 of 17
Venue: Interlagos
Distance: 4.309km (71 laps)
Lap record: 1min 11.473 (2004)
History: The first Brazilian Grand Prix was held at Interlagos in 1972, although it was a non-championship event. Jacarepaguá in Rio de Janeiro hosted the race 10 times between 1978 and 1989 but Interlagos has been the race's permanent home since 1990.
Panasonic Toyota Racing makes a trans-Atlantic trip this week for the penultimate round of the 2009 season, the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos; the only Grand Prix of the season in the Americas. There will be a different driver in the car with Kamui Kobayashi replacing Timo Glock, who is suffering from a cracked vertebra sustained in his qualifying accident at Suzuka. The team arrives in Sao Paulo on the back of consecutive second place finishes and in the midst of a battle for third place in the Constructors' Championship. Jarno Trulli's second place at Suzuka equalled the team's record, from 2005, of five podiums in a season and the target this weekend will be to set a new mark and close the 12.5-point gap to third place. Toyota has enjoyed competitive performances at Interlagos and has scored points in three of the last four Brazilian races, including Timo Glock's sixth place last year, while Jarno has qualified in the top three on two of the last three occasions.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "This season has flown by so quickly; it's hard to believe we are already at the penultimate race of the year! It's always enjoyable to be racing in Brazil, and particularly at Interlagos which is a tough circuit. The track is quite unusual because it is anti-clockwise, but also because half of it is extremely fast and the other half is very technical, so you need to compromise to find the right set-up. Toyota has usually been quite strong at Interlagos and I've generally been very quick there too so I'm hopeful that will be the case again this year. It was fantastic to be on the podium in the last race, especially in front of all our Japanese supporters, and I hope to be fighting at the front again this weekend. Last year I was on the front row in Brazil and I believe this year's car will also be quite well suited to the track so I am optimistic. I am determined to end the season as we started it; on a high note."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10): "This is an incredible opportunity for me to make my Grand Prix debut but of course it is a pity for Timo as I know how much he was looking forward to getting back to racing. Fortunately for me I had some time in the car on Friday in Suzuka and, even though that was in the wet, it will be very helpful for me this weekend. I have never driven at Interlagos before but I know the lay-out from computer games and television so I don't think it will take too long to learn. It's going to be a tough weekend but I feel ready for the challenge and I know the team is supporting me 100%. A few days ago I wasn't even expecting to be racing this weekend so it's impossible to set any targets. I just want to do myself proud and complete the race without any problems; anything after that is a bonus."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "After the most recent work, Interlagos is now no bumpier than any other track so what we are left with is a very interesting lay-out which presents quite a challenge, with low, medium and high-speed corners as well as a long straight. This means you have to compromise in terms of downforce and drag level to get strong performance on the infield and give yourself a chance to pass at the end of the start-finish straight. We have always been quick in Brazil so we expect to be very competitive. In terms of aerodynamic efficiency Interlagos is close to the baseline configuration we run in the wind tunnel so our car is very well optimized to this kind of track. We go into the Brazilian Grand Prix after finishing on the podium in the last two races so we have high expectations and I am confident we will be strong."
Thinking Further Ahead This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, Toyota in Brazil brings 'Pensando mais longe', which means 'thinking further ahead', to the race track.
4th October 2009
Japanese Grand Prix – Race
Jarno is SECOND!!!!! A fantastic drive, finishing just behind Vettel and ahead of Hamilton. In fact, after Hamilton takes second place by the first corner, Jarno battles all race and finally passes the McLaren again on their second pitstops. Vettel just drives off in front but they are all bunched up back together 8 laps from the end when Alguersuari finally destroys his car properly at 130R. and the safety car is called upon. Webber visits his pit box the most, with three visits in the first few laps, two to fix a loose cockpit surround and another for a puncture. Buemi has previously retired with a clutch problem so at least HE doesn’t cause a safety car! And Timo has never started, as his leg with the stitches has stiffened up. One interesting snapshot is Kovalainen muscling Fisichella’s Ferrari out of the way coming out of the pitlane. Fisi must have forgotten he has KERS as well. Today is also about what doesn’t happen…. Brawn still need a half point for the Constructors’ Championship and Button loses another point in his cushion, with Vettel now within 16 points of him. Top 8: Vettel, Jarno, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Button.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing stood on the podium for the second consecutive race following Jarno Trulli's brilliant runners-up finish in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. As his team-mate Timo Glock had done in Singapore last Sunday, Jarno again equalled the team's best Formula 1 result, taking his third and the team's fifth podium finish of the season. He was the only TF109 on the grid as Timo was unable to start following his accident in qualifying yesterday, in which he suffered a cut leg. Jarno started the race from second on the hard compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre and came out of the first corner in third, behind Lewis Hamilton. From then on he pushed to the limit, always keeping second place in sight. He fell short of taking the position at his first pit stop, when he changed to another set of hard tyres. But more fast laps and exceptional work by the pit crew at his final stop, when he switched to the soft tyres, allowed him to take the position. He was comfortably pulling
away when the safety car was brought out due to an accident on lap 45 but when racing resumed four laps later he held position and crossed the line in front of the team's home fans in a well-deserved second place.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 2nd
Race Classification: 2nd (+4.877s)
Pit Stop Laps: 16, 39
"Standing on the podium in the team's home Grand Prix is a fantastic feeling and this great result is down to the whole team; the engineers, mechanics and everyone, including Timo. We work really well together as part of a great team and it's a pity he wasn't able to race today. The car, with the new package, has been really competitive all weekend and I knew the start was likely to be the toughest point of the race. We made a strong start and I almost held my position, but Lewis got by and after that I spent the whole race fighting with him. I closed the gap and just focused on doing qualifying laps every time; it was fantastic fun and I really enjoyed it. It was not easy to push so hard but I kept fighting and after the first pit stops I was again chasing Lewis really closely. It was just a matter of putting as much pressure on as possible and, thanks to the team for the strategy and fast pit work, we got him at the last stop. From then on I pulled away and it was reasonably comfortable, even with the safety car at the end. I want to thank the team; we came here after Timo's great second place in Singapore and again the car was competitive immediately. I really hoped to win but this was the maximum we could achieve and I am extremely happy to be on the podium in Japan."
Timo Glock (Car 10)
Grid: Did not start
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"Jarno did a brilliant job today with the only Toyota in the race. It's great to get a result like this in our home Grand Prix; we really appreciate our partners and fans so I hope they enjoyed our performance. It's unfortunate Timo couldn't join him in the race because I am sure he would have also had a very strong result but I am very happy with Jarno's podium. The strategy worked perfectly so, thanks to the efforts of Jarno and the team, we got past Hamilton after the second pit stop. Two second places in a row is a credit to the team, who have fought so hard all through the season; they deserve this result. There are still two more races left so we will immediately begin preparations for those and I hope Timo and Jarno will again stand on the podium this season."
3rd October 2009
Japanese Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice:
Jarno is fastest in the first dry session this weekend, just faster than er… Buemi. There are a few spins and wheel bangs (Button and Alguersuari) but the only crash is by Mark Webber at Degner. Top 6: Jarno, Buemi, Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Sutil. Timo is 14th.
Qualifying:
It’s crash city as qualy is interrupted by no less than THREE red flags, one of them involving Timo in a dramatic shunt into the barriers at the final corner. Q1 was fairly calm apart from Buemi’s backwards spin into the Degner wall, but he gets back to the pits, repaired and out again in Q2. Webber doesn’t get out at all this session so is at the back, along with Liuzzi (already the subject of a gearbox change penalty), Grosjean, Nakajima and Fisichella (again). Q2 takes a while to complete, with 2 red flags, one for Alguersuari’s ploughing into the Degner barriers, and the other with Timo, as above. Both drivers are carted off to hospital. Timo has a cut leg that needs a few stitches. Buemi then crashes again at the exit of Spoon and leaves his front wing and many other bits all over the track, but this is taken care of under yellow flags. Some drivers have improved their times though… not allowed, surely? But this eliminates Alonso, Rosberg and Kubica, along with the two crashees. There is only one crash and red flag in Q3…. Kovalainen previously had a harmless practice spin at Degner in Q1, but does the job properly this time, hitting the barriers. The best bit of the whole session is that Jarno qualifies P2, just behind Seb Vettel. Top 10: Vettel, Jarno, Hamilton, Sutil, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Button, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Buemi. Aftrewards the stewards declare Button, Barrichello, Alonso, and Sutil should have a 5 place penalty for improving under yellow flags in Q2 (told you!) and Buemi for driving slowly back to the pits in a damaged car and impeding other drivers. New top 10: Vettel, Jarno, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Kubica, Sutil, Barrichello, Alguersuari. (Button is 11th!)
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing endured a Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session of mixed emotions at Suzuka today. Jarno Trulli, who had been fastest in morning practice, gave the team its fourth front row start of the season but Timo Glock's qualifying ended early with a heavy accident in the second session. Timo, who suffered a minor cut to his left leg and some back pain but no significant injuries in the impact, was transferred to hospital in Yokkaichi for a check-up. Earlier in the day he had returned to the cockpit for morning practice after sitting out yesterday's action due to a very heavy cold and fever. Both drivers progressed through first qualifying on the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre. A red flag early in the second session caused an eight-minute delay and Jarno had just finished a scintillating lap on soft tyres when Timo, also set for an extremely quick lap, crashed at the final corner. That caused a 14-minute delay. A further red flag in the final session postponed
matters for another five minutes but when the action resumed Jarno was in fine form, showing the impressive potential of the TF109 by claiming second place for Toyota's home race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 1st, 1m 31.709s 24 laps
1st Qualifying: 4th, 1m 31.063s (+0.180s), 9 laps
2nd Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 30.737s (+0.396s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 32.220s (+0.060s), 5 laps
"Obviously I feel for Timo because we could both have been starting at the front of the grid today. It was good to hear quickly from the team that he is okay; just a bit upset he isn't in the top six with me. It was a crazy qualifying session in general with all the red flags and I am really happy with this result, especially in front of all our Japanese fans. The whole team has done a great job this weekend with our updated package to give me this chance to qualify on the front row. They have provided me with a car to fight at the front and I want to say thanks to them. My priority in qualifying was to keep my concentration because I knew we had a good chance to get a strong result. I think my lap time was the maximum I could get out of the car so I am very pleased with it. Now I am looking forward to the race tomorrow when obviously my aim is to finish on the podium in Toyota's home Grand Prix. I hope the first lap is clean and then I will do my best to get a great result."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 14th, 1m 32.749s (+1.040s), 26 laps
1st Qualifying: 14th, 1m 31.550s (+0.667s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 14th, no lap time, 3 laps
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"All in all it was a very good day for Jarno which confirmed our package works really well on this kind of aero-dominated track. We saw already this morning that he was on for a great day and he had a really strong qualifying. We are obviously disappointed to miss out on pole position by less than a tenth of a second but confident our strategy will be very competitive tomorrow. For Timo it has been a different story. We are frustrated of course that he didn't qualify where we expected but happy that he is okay because that is always our priority. It was a heavy impact but the data shows no sign of anything unusual on that lap."
2nd October 2009
Japanese Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Oh knickers, it’s raining in Japan. The first session kicks off with a wet but drying track so there’s a bit of action. Kovalainen comes out fastest, just pipping Nakajima to top spot. Kamui Kobayashi is having to fill in for Timo, who is has a sick note from his mum. Kamui is 19th fastest with Jarno in 13th position. No dramas amazingly. Top 6: Kovalainen, Nakajima. Sutil, Fisichella, Buemi, Hamilton.
Session 2: It’s pouring again and they are running out of tyres if they want to save some in case the race is wet, so there is little running. Sutil is fastest for Force India, followed by Vettel. Kovalainen, Button and Barrichello opt to stay in the garage. Jarno is 8th and Kamui 12th.
Japanese Grand Prix - Free Practice Round-Up
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing had a different driver line-up for the start of Japanese Grand Prix practice at Suzuka today. Timo Glock was suffering from a very heavy cold and fever, allowing third driver Kamui Kobayashi to join Jarno Trulli in practice today. Rain throughout the day meant Formula 1's return to Suzuka after a two-year absence took place on a wet track for both sessions. Kamui, making his first appearance behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car at a Grand Prix weekend, started practice on wet Bridgestone Potenza tyres but a dry spell saw the track begin to dry so he and Jarno continued with intermediate rubber. Kamui acquitted himself extremely well with some competitive lap times in difficult conditions as the team assessed wet-weather set-ups and ran system checks. But the rain returned even stronger in the afternoon, with second practice beginning in a downpour. No running was possible at all for the first 75 minutes but both drivers did complete a late stint to gather
information on track conditions. Timo is expected to return to action tomorrow.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 13th, 1m 42.657s, (+2.301s) 13 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 48.737s (+1.476s), 7 laps
"There's not much to say after that. Unfortunately for all our Japanese fans the weather severely limited our running today. I hope we have better weather tomorrow so we can put on a better show for them. The car didn't feel too bad in the wet but it is difficult to comment too much on it because of the conditions."
Kamui Kobayashi (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 43.407s (+3.051s), 16 laps
2nd Practice: 12th, 1m 49.054s (+1.793s), 7 laps
"I only heard I would be driving today at 8.30 this morning when I was on my way to the circuit; it was a bit of a surprise because even though I knew Timo was sick, I wasn't expecting this. It was a really good opportunity for me but the conditions were pretty bad and I didn't get a lot of laps in the end. I had quite a good run in the first session and I was trying to improve step by step. It was important not to make any mistakes because I wanted to complete as many laps as possible, for me and the team. I wasn't pushing 100% due to the wet conditions but still the lap times were pretty good, especially considering I don't have much experience of this track and haven't driven here for six years. The car feels like it has improved a lot since I last drove it in February. It's difficult to judge in the wet but I was really impressed with how much development has been done in that time."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a bit of a wasted day today because the conditions were so bad and the forecast for the rest of the weekend is for better weather so there was no incentive to do much running. Between first and second practice the conditions went from bad to worse and we were only able to do one run at the very end of the afternoon session which was not particularly useful. Considering the bad weather and the fact he has not tested since the beginning of the year, Kamui did extremely well; we are very pleased with his contribution. Timo should be back tomorrow and he will not suffer from missing today's practice - unless the weather forecast changes - because it wasn't possible to do any significant preparation for dry running."
28th September 2009
Japanese Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 4 October, 7am CET
Round: 15 of 17
Venue: Suzuka Circuit
Distance: 5.807km (53 laps)
Lap record: 1min 31.540s (2005)
History: Suzuka hosted the first Japanese Grand Prix in 1963 but the event arrived on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar at Fuji Speedway in 1976 and 1977. Formula 1 returned to Japan in 1987 at Suzuka, which hosted 20 consecutive events before Fuji Speedway returned in 2007 and 2008.
Panasonic Toyota Racing makes the 5,000km trip from Singapore to Suzuka for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. Following its return to the podium with Timo Glock's second place in Singapore at the weekend, the team has the chance to continue that strong form on Formula 1's return to Suzuka. With almost no time between the two races, Jarno Trulli and Timo will use the same specification cars that performed so well in Singapore, although there is a change of tyre compound with the soft and hard specification Bridgestone Potenza tyres in use this weekend. As its home race, the Japanese Grand Prix is of particular significance for the team, not least as the location for its first-ever pole position, in 2005. Jarno holds the record for Toyota's best result at Suzuka, with sixth in 2006, although he went one place better than that last year at Fuji Speedway to take the team's highest finish in Japan. With thousands of loyal Toyota fans expected to lend their support at Suzuka, the team
is highly motivated to fight for the podium.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I am excited to be returning to Suzuka because it is a very technical and challenging circuit which I like very much. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction so it is a bit like Spa in that sense and it is one of my favourite circuits. I am particularly looking forward to seeing what changes have been made to the facilities; although I am pleased the lay-out is the same with just resurfacing. Japan is the home Grand Prix for the team so I will give my all to get the best result for Toyota and our Japanese supporters. I have a special relationship with the Japanese fans so I really enjoy visiting the country; they are always so supportive and enthusiastic. It is a special atmosphere. I had a disappointing weekend in Singapore but Suzuka is a totally different track and we should be competitive there; we hope to be very strong so I hope to race well and get a result to match."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Suzuka is a really special circuit. It is very fast and the first sector is just unbelievable in a Formula 1 car; a really enjoyable experience. It is five years since I drove a Formula 1 car at Suzuka but the lay-out hasn't changed and I'm sure the fans will still make it a pleasure to race there. It's a really good fun circuit to race at because not only is the lay-out so fantastic, the fans make it feel special too, especially when you are a Toyota driver. It's not an easy track to drive and you really have to be completely concentrated to get the best lap time but this makes it so much fun. It was fantastic to finish on the podium in Singapore. I would love to be challenging for the podium again in Toyota's home race to give something back to our team's; that would be a great result. Standing on the podium for Toyota in Japan would be perfect."
Tadashi Yamashina, Team Principal: "We are very much looking forward to our home Grand Prix. After two great years at Fuji Speedway the race returns to Suzuka this season but despite the change of venue we are equally determined to achieve a positive result. We will have a lot of encouragement from our fans, our partners and Toyota employees at this race which is very motivating for the whole team. This creates some positive pressure because we know our supporters are hoping for a strong result and we are determined to meet their expectations. Everyone back in Cologne has worked extremely hard to develop the new package we saw in Singapore and will use again in Japan. This shows we are fighting for every 10th of a second right to the end of the season."
27th September 2009
Singapore Grand Prix –Race
Hamilton takes the lights to flag win, and Timo gets second! This is after Rosberg inexplicably crosses the white line on the pitlane exit and gets a drive through penalty to spoil his race. Then he is driving around in Jarno’s area in the 12th/13th places, with Jarno eventually finishing 12th. Ahead of Fisichella though! Vettel could have been up there too but for a pitlane speeding drive through, settling for 4th in the end behind Alonso. There is a safety car when Sutil spins his Force India trying to pass Alguersuari, clouting Nick Heidfeld as his car swings back round. Both cars retire soon after. Grosjean has already retired on lap 4 with no brakes: see Renault, he wasn’t making it up yesterday! Several other drivers also begin to have brake problems as the race goes on, most notably Webber, who crashes at turn 1, 15 laps from the end, and the Brawns who only just manage to finish. The Toro Rossos also retire, both on the same lap (48) with separate mechanical issues. Jense manages 5th, ahead of Barrichello in 6th, which now gives him a margin of 15 points in the WDC. Top 8: Hamilton, Glock, Alonso, Vettel, Button, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Kubica.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing returned to the podium in a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix as Timo Glock equalled his and the team's best Formula 1 result with second place. Timo took his third career podium, his second of the season, thanks to a brilliant drive from sixth on the grid under lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. His charge to the front started on the opening lap when, on soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, he fought his way up to fifth place. Jarno, also on the soft tyres, started with a heavy fuel load and finished the first lap in 17th. Timo made his first pit stop, for more soft tyres, on lap 19 and had already moved into the podium places but a safety car two laps later interrupted the race. Jarno pitted for more soft tyres behind the safety car, resuming in 14th. After four laps of safety car the race restarted and Timo battled hard to defend his fourth position. Soon after that became third and he made his final pit stop from second place, switching to the super
soft options. He continued to push hard and closed in on the race lead, while Jarno had fought his way into the top 10 before a late stop for super soft tyres. An exceptionally long race in tough conditions saw Timo take the chequered flag in a fine second place, Panasonic Toyota Racing's fourth runners-up spot and 12th podium.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 6th
Race Classification: 2nd (+9.634s)
Pit Stop Laps: 19, 45
"We have had a really good weekend and this is a great reward for the team. After a solid qualifying the pace was good in the race so I am really happy for the team and myself. It was important to get in front of Fernando (Alonso) on the first lap and I was disappointed I didn't do it at the start. I saw he was fighting with Mark (Webber) and I just dived in and made the pass. It paid off because after that our strategy worked well; it was the key point in my race. I was just concentrating the whole race on my speed and we didn't make any mistakes. This is a brilliant result for Toyota before the Japanese Grand Prix. It's important for everyone in the team; the mechanics and engineers as well as the people back home in Cologne and in Japan. The car worked well today with the new package and I hope we can be competitive again in Suzuka."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 14th
Race Classification: 12th (+1m 13.009s)
Pit Stop Laps: 21, 51
"It was a really tough race and not much went right for me. As soon as I got out of the traffic the safety car came at the wrong moment for me; right when I was passing through the pits for my first stop. I wasn't particularly competitive all weekend and I was struggling with traction so we have to take a look at that. But on the positive side Timo's second place is a great result for the team, who really deserve it. Timo drove a great race and I am happy for his podium; it is also good news for us in the Constructors' Championship."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"I am extremely happy to be back on the podium and fighting at the front again. Timo did a fantastic job this weekend, as did the entire team. Everything went perfectly with Timo today; his pit stops were very good and he drove very well. Jarno did his best but unfortunately it was always going to be difficult after qualifying. To be on the podium again is a particularly satisfying result coming just a few days before our home Grand Prix in Japan. Suzuka should be more suited to our car than Singapore so we can expect to be very competitive there as well. I would like to thank the team for their hard work in getting such a great result and I am looking forward to another strong performance next weekend."
26th September 2009
Singapore Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
No dramas in this session when the most exciting thing is Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso stalling at the end of the pitlane and having to be pushed back over the line so the mechanics can have it back. Hamilton is fastest from Vettel. Jarno is 10th after doing the fewest laps as he has to wait half an hour while the mechanics complete some task. Timo is 8th. Top 6: Hamilton, Vettel, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Kubica, Heidfeld.
Qualifying
Hamilton is on pole as Barrichello’s crash with 26s of the last session remaining messes up several drivers’ final flying laps. Did he do it deliberately, as it helps him more than most because he has to drop 5 places with a gearbox change? Just a theory! It stops Vettel and Rosberg improving anyway, and they have to settle for second and third. Jarno misses out on getting into Q3, finishing only P15. Eliminated from Q1 are both Force Indias. Grosjean, Fisichella and Alguersuari. Jarno is in good company stuck in Q2, as Raikkonen and Button are also eliminated from Q2 joined by Buemi and Nakajima. Top 10. Hamilton, Vettel, Rosberg, Webber, Barrichello, Alonso, Glock, Heidfeld, Kubica, Kovalainen.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing had a mixed night in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Starting at 10pm local time and in 31°C heat, Formula 1's only night-time qualifying session saw Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock take their updated TF109s to the Singapore streets. Both drivers started first qualifying on the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre before switching to the super soft option for a final flying lap in the closing seconds. Jarno, who lost some time in morning practice due to an exhaust problem, set the fastest third sector of the session to progress while Timo was close behind and also reached second qualifying. Again using the super soft tyre, Jarno struggled for grip and missed out while Timo went from strength to strength to reach the top 10. In third qualifying Timo, again on the super soft tyres, was fighting towards the front when a late red flag prematurely ended his final flying lap and left him seventh in the standings, although a
penalty for Rubens Barrichello means he will start sixth.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 8th, 1m 48.673s (+1.041s), 17 laps
1st Qualifying: 15th, 1m 47.770s (+0.793s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 5th, 1m 46.707s (+0.510s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 7th*, 1m 49.180s (+1.289), 5 laps
*6th on provisional grid
"I am happy to be back in the top 10 again. I like this track and I feel confident in the car set-up here. The sessions went well generally; particularly in second qualifying when I was straightaway a second faster than I had been in the first session. The car felt really good and it was nice to get through to third qualifying. My lap was okay in that session but I was on used options and they were a bit worn out. I was really looking forward to my last run on new options but the red flag destroyed it. I know I could have improved my lap time and who knows where that would have put me. But in the end I start from sixth so it looks pretty good. I hope we can have a clean first lap then try to finish in the top six. I will be fighting for as many points as possible."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 10th, 1m 48.757s (+1.125s), 12 laps
1st Qualifying: 13th, 1m 47.690s (+0.713s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 15th, 1m 47.413s (+1.216s), 6 laps
"The main problem for me was a lack of grip. The track conditions seem like they have improved but we couldn't improve our lap times enough from yesterday. I am not sure why because Timo looked strong but I just had no grip at all. The car didn't feel particularly good so we didn't quite get it right today unfortunately. Anything can happen in the race tomorrow and I will fight as hard as I can but it will be difficult to score points from 15th."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"As expected we are stronger here in Singapore than we were at the last race so it is disappointing not to get both cars into the top 10. Timo did a good job to get through first and second qualifying. In the end we are a bit frustrated that the final session ended early due to the red flag because he didn't have the chance to use his final set of new options so there was an opportunity to qualify even higher. The target for Timo is clearly a strong points finish but the race will be harder for Jarno. We need to analyse the grip problems he had and we will see what we can do with our strategy to recover some positions."
25th September 2009
Jarno Trulli takes Abruzzo fund to Euro650,000
Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Jarno Trulli hosted a second charity auction for his Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal, raising a further 400,000 Singapore dollars (Euro200,000) in Singapore to take the total to Euro650,000.
Jarno has been raising funds since April to help those affected by the earthquake in his home region of Abruzzo, collecting donations via www.abruzzonelcuore.net, organising a charity football match and hosting auctions of memorabilia, the latest of which occurred on Wednesday night.
Among the lots on offer at the exclusive VIP event in Singapore was a Jarno helmet as well as racing helmets from Mark Webber and David Coulthard while Audemars Piguet donated a unique watch which raised Euro150,000 alone.
Jarno said: "It was another great event and I would like to thank everyone who took part, especially Audemars Piguet. This money is really important for the people of Abruzzo and it will help to rebuild the community, which suffered so much damage in the earthquake. I have put a lot of energy into this charity project and I will personally make sure the money is well spent to make the people's lives better."
25th September 2009
Singapore Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: If you are in the Renault team, the most embarrassing thing would be if one of your drivers crashed in exactly the same place as Nelson Piquet did last year….but what are the chances of that? Ooops, Romain Grosjean does just that half way through the session. Perhaps last year wasn’t deliberate after all? The Brawns are fastest with Barrichello at the top. The Toyotas languish in 15th (Timo) and 16th. Top 6: Barrichello, Button, Webber, Alonso, Vettel, Kovalainen.
Session 2: The drivers are complaining of traffic….what on earth will it be like next year if it’s a 28 car grid? Vettel is fastest this time, from Alonso. Webber crashes after spinning at the exit to the final corner and misses the second half of the session. Grosjean misses some laps too, as repairs are completed. The Toyotas improve marginally, with Timo up to 8th and Jarno settling for 13th. Top 6: Vettel, Alonso, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Button, Webber.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing drove into the night when practice for the Singapore Grand Prix began on the Marina Bay Street Circuit today. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock got their first taste of the track in 2009 configuration in daylight at the start of first practice but the sun set during the session, which ended in darkness. A 12-minute delay due to a red flag slightly disrupted a programme of set-up analysis and aerodynamic comparisons during a session where humidity reached 71% and air temperatures hit 31°C. Marina Bay is used for racing only once a year so track conditions improved significantly throughout the two sessions as a clean line was established and tyre rubber put down. After using only the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres in the opening session, second practice gave the drivers a chance to compare those with the super soft rubber; the same combination as used already on the streets of Monaco and Valencia. Another red flag eliminated 10 minutes from second practice but the team nevertheless completed all its planned work without trouble.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 16th, 1m 52.135s, (+1.956s) 20 laps
2nd Practice: 13th, 1m 49.795s (+1.145s), 29 laps
"It was a standard Friday session for me where I worked to evaluate the tyres and set-up. We still have to improve the handling and the set-up because the car didn't feel perfect for me. There was very little grip from the track, especially in the first session when the surface was extremely dusty. That made it hard to get good traction and I had some oversteering. But the conditions will improve as the weekend goes on and we have to make changes to get the most out of our car here. We will study all the information and try to make the right adjustments."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 15th, 1m 52.083s (+1.904s), 20 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 49.342s (+0.692s), 30 laps
"I am pretty pleased with how things have turned out today. The first practice session was a bit difficult to really analyse the car and I don't think the track conditions helped. The car didn't feel bad but the lap time just didn't seem to be there. But in second practice it was much better overall. The car felt more together, the track conditions improved a lot and we ran through our whole programme. I am quite happy with the car at the moment but obviously we want to get more performance out of it before qualifying and the race. We have to analyse some set-up changes to understand which direction to take then we will see how things go tomorrow."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Overall it was a positive day for us. As usual on a street circuit, and as was the case here last year, the track conditions evolved a lot during the two sessions and this will continue over the rest of the weekend. Everything went well with our new update package which is always good, especially when you consider there is no track testing possible. We put the updates on the car for the first time today and it all worked fine which is a credit to everyone who has worked hard on this. Obviously with a new package you have even more data to study and you have to look really carefully at it to decide on the next steps before qualifying, so we still have plenty of work to do but I am optimistic for the weekend."
21st September 2009
Singapore Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 27 September, 2pm CET
Round: 14 of 17
Venue: Marina Bay Street Circuit
Distance: 5.067km (61 laps)
Lap record: 1min 45.599s (2008)
History: Last year marked the first time the Singapore Grand Prix had been part of the Formula 1 World Championship, but a Formula Libre race with that title ran from 1966-73.
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels to south-east Asia and Formula 1's only night race, the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Sessions in Singapore take place at night, with qualifying beginning at 10pm and the race at 8pm local time so over a thousand lighting projectors are used to ensure full visibility. The team got its first experience of a Grand Prix under lights last year, when Timo Glock finished fourth after Jarno Trulli's podium challenge ended with hydraulics trouble. This weekend Jarno and Timo will have an upgraded TF109 at their disposal following the introduction of the team's final new package of the season, which features updates to the front wing and the rear end, including the rear wing. The drivers will put these improvements, as well as the soft and super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, to the test when practice begins on Friday. After missing out on the top eight in the Italian Grand Prix, the team is determined to start the final flyaway leg of the season with a return to the points under lights in Singapore this weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "Singapore is a unique race for us as the only night race and it is quite an interesting experience. I hope we can be competitive there, especially as we have some improvements to the car. The team has pushed hard all season to introduce new parts and it's great to have upgrades even as the season is coming to a close. It's not possible to predict exactly how we will perform until we have driven the track again but I am optimistic we can be competitive again in Singapore. I was really unlucky last year when a technical problem prevented me finishing on the podium. It was a really tough race on a heavy fuel load, especially in hot conditions and over the bumps, so it was frustrating not to get a result. This year I am determined to make up for that. To be honest I would rather race in daylight because the light levels change around the track but a night race is good for the spectators and there was a nice atmosphere last year so I am looking forward to this weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "I really enjoy racing at night because it is a great show for the fans and last year was just an unbelievable event. You need to get used to driving under lights but for me the visibility was fine, it's just a very strange thing is to be arriving at the track early in the afternoon and leaving again at 4am. I like the Singapore track; it is good fun to be driving past some famous buildings at night and the chicane at turn 10 is a nice challenge because you cannot afford to make any mistake. It's a typical street circuit and last year it was pretty bumpy which made it tough for the drivers, but they have worked on that. I had a great race there a year ago so I hope we can repeat that kind of result. It's hard to know what to expect considering we have some improvements on the car this weekend but I hope we will make a step forward. We are still pushing as hard as ever so I can't wait to get back on track."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "Singapore last year was a complete success and I was very impressed. The place is fantastic and the new experience of a night race was a great one for everyone involved. It was an unforgettable event. The circuit itself is high downforce and the drivers play a key part because you have a lot of corners, 23, and it is extremely important for a driver to find the right rhythm without touching the barriers. Another factor to consider with Singapore is that it is extremely hard on brakes so we have to be careful in that sense. But the main characteristic we discovered last year was that the track was incredibly bumpy, which made it a priority to set-up the suspension to deal with the bumps. There has been some resurfacing so we will see if that reduces the problem. We will bring some upgrades to our car for this race and in fact Singapore will be the last package of improvements to the TF109. These will be validated on Friday and we expect them to help us make a step forward."
Moving Forward This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, Toyota in the Asia Pacific region brings 'Toyota Moving Forward' to the race track.
13th September 2009
Italian Grand Prix – Race
The Brawns’ one-stop stragegy sees them turn their 5th and 6th place qualifying into a race 1- 2, with Barrichello the winner. The Toyota one-stop strategy sees them turn 11th and 16th places into er…. 11th and 14th. The Toyota drivers do have some fun at the end though, when with nothing to lose, Jarno decides to take on Nakajima and Timo in a battle through the first chicane and onwards, with Jarno coming off worst and finishing 14th, with Timo 11th. There would have only been one place between them if Lewis Hamilton had not crashed on the final lap while in 3rd place (no sniggering at the back), leaving him classified P12 and allowing Raikkonen to inherit P3, the race finishing under the safety car. Webber retires in the gravel of the Roggia chicane on the first lap, after being tapped into a spin by Kubica. The BMW carries on with a piece of front wing dangling and even overtakes Vettel but is eventually ordered to pit for repairs by the use of the black and orange flag which we don’t see very often. Kubica lasts 16 laps before retiring. Raikkonen and Sutil both have botched pit stops, with one trying to leave too soon (Kimi) and Sutil overshooting his mark causing chaos among his mechanics. Other retirees are Alguersuari and Liuzzi, both with mechanical problems. Fisichella is 9th in his first Ferrari drive. Top 8: Barrichello, Button, Raikkonen, Sutil, Alonso, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Vettel.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing concluded the European leg of the 2009 Formula 1 season with a tough Italian Grand Prix at Monza today which saw neither TF109 finish in the points. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock both started with extremely heavy fuel loads from the midfield in a bid to make up places. Jarno, starting on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, jostled for position at the first chicane while Timo, on the soft tyres, had to take avoiding action after being squeezed to the outside. Jarno finished the first lap in 13th with Timo 17th. Both drivers fought hard during long first stints, with Jarno pitting from the top 10 on lap 35 and Timo doing likewise three laps later. Timo, now on the medium tyres, emerged directly next to Jarno, on medium rubber, at the first chicane and they battled for position for half a lap. Jarno completed the lap in 12th with Timo just behind and set about pressuring Kazuki Nakajima in front. He got alongside under braking for the first chicane at
the start of lap 48 but bounced across the kerbs and again rejoined alongside Timo. Another exciting battle concluded when Jarno ran wide, leaving him 14th and Timo 12th as the chequered flag flew with the field behind the safety car.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 16th
Race Classification: 11th (+2m 43.925s)
Pit Stop Laps: 38
"It wasn't the result we wanted but at least it was good entertainment. I had already been fighting with Jarno when I came out of the pits; it was quite tight but he got ahead. Then towards the end I could see him try to overtake Kazuki Nakajima but he hit the kerbs and bounced wide. We had a nice battle and made sure we kept it clean. In the end I was on the inside so I won the fight. Overall it was never going to be easy to get much out of this race but Singapore is a different track and we will have some new bits on the car so we should have a decent chance."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 11th
Race Classification: 14th (+1 lap)
Pit Stop Laps: 35
"We expected a difficult race and that's what we got. I was behind (Kazuki) Nakajima for much of the race and I felt I was able to go faster but it was difficult to overtake. Towards the end I was getting a bit bored to be honest and I tried really hard to find an opportunity. As soon as I saw a little space I just dived in and braked very late. The move was almost okay but there wasn't quite enough space and unfortunately I hit the kerb and then I had a bit of a fight with Timo. That was good fun and I enjoyed it. I was always on the outside line but I kept fighting because it is better to have a bit of action and in the end it doesn't make much different if I am 11th or 14th. At least I tried because it wasn't an exciting race for me otherwise."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"It was a disappointing race result for us after a frustrating qualifying but we knew it was likely to be hard for us here. At least we provided some exciting action for the fans with Jarno and Timo battling towards the end of the race; they showed their fighting spirit. Monza is a unique circuit which places unique demands on the car so I am convinced we will improve for the next race in Singapore. It is a completely different kind of track and we will work hard to get a better result there."
12th September 2009
Jarno Trulli charity auction brings in Euro300,000
Jarno Trulli hosted a charity auction in the town of Monza last night, raising Euro300,000 for his Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal.
Jarno has spent the past six months raising funds to help the victims of April's earthquake in the Italian region of Abruzzo, Jarno's birthplace. Through the website www.abruzzonelcuore.net and a charity football game, he had already raised around Euro150,000.
That fund was significantly increased last night in Monza when memorabilia from Jarno, Giancarlo Fisichella, Brawn, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault and Williams, as well as a unique Audemars Piguet watch designed and donated especially for the occasion, was put up for auction in front of an exclusive VIP audience of around 100.
Among the lots was a Jarno racing helmet, which was sold for Euro40,000 to two of the most dedicated fans of Panasonic Toyota Racing and Jarno; a Japanese couple who regularly attend overseas events to lend their support.
The Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal now has a grand total of around Euro450,000, which will be put towards reconstructing the affected areas and the use of this money will be personally overseen by Jarno. A similar auction will be held around the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, featuring items from Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Kazuki Nakajima.
12th September 2009
Italian Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
Sutil is quickest AGAIN followed by Button and Heidfeld. Timo is 9th and Jarno 13th. Fisi is bottom again, this time because he manages to crash into the tyre barriers at the Parabolica half way through. Fisi-watchers will know this is entirely normal as he crashes almost as often as Nelsinho. Can’t think why Ferrari have never noticed. Grosjean is also making a few mistakes but he is still a rookie. Jaime Alguersuari also misses a lot of mileage because of a gearbox problem which is eventually changed. Top 6: Sutil, Button, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Hamilton, Kovalainen.
Qualifying
Hamilton claims pole at the last minute from Force India’s Sutil, although when the fuel loads are released it seems that McLaren have gone for pole rather than a sensible race strategy. Jarno does a bit better than practice had indicated, getting through Q2 and almost to Q3, having to settle for the optimal 11th, with it’s choice of fuel load. Timo gets left behind in Q1 with both Williams and the two Toro Rossos, making Jaime’s penalty irrelevant. Fisichella only manages 14th although his team mate is P3. Maybe Badoer wasn’t that bad after his months of inactivity. Grosjean and both BMWs are also stuck in Q2, after both BMWs have the same engine problem at the same time! Which is a bit of a blow as they are new ones! Hanilton gets away with blocking Buemi in Q2 after the stewards investigate. Top 10: Hamilton, Sutil, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Button, Liuzzi, Alonso, Vettel, Webber.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered last-minute disappointment at Monza today during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli came within a whisker of progressing to second and third qualifying respectively, only to be denied at the very last moment. Both drivers started first qualifying on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres and steadily improved their lap times before switching to the soft options. Jarno delivered his best time on his final lap to progress but Timo missed out by just 0.022s after encountering traffic in a session where the top 19 were covered by less than a second. Jarno was therefore the only Toyota in second qualifying and he pulled out all the stops on the medium tyres to give himself a great chance of reaching the top 10. He did not improve during a last stint on soft tyres but still looked likely to reach third qualifying until the very last act of the session when he dropped down to 11th.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 13th, 1m 24.326s (+0.990s), 17 laps
1st Qualifying: 15th, 1m 24.014s (+0.665s), 12 laps
2nd Qualifying: 11th, 1m 23.611s (+0.638), 8 laps
"I am happy with my lap in second qualifying because that was the maximum we could get out of the car. Of course it is not satisfying to be 11th and it's extremely disappointing to miss out on the top 10 right at the end of the session like that. I would have been really happy to be in the top 10 considering the performance in practice, which suggested it would be a tough qualifying for us. It is going to be hard tomorrow but 11th is not far away from the top eight so we need to fight and try to bring home some points."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 9th, 1m 23.959s (+0.623s), 21 laps
1st Qualifying: 16th, 1m 24.036s (+0.687s), 11 laps
"It's frustrating to miss out on second qualifying when I was only sixth tenths away from the fastest lap of the session. We looked quite promising this morning but we didn't transfer all of that speed to qualifying, and I wasn't helped by traffic. On my last lap on the soft tyres another car went straight on at the chicane and I had to follow him, which destroyed my lap. I had the potential to qualify higher but if you lose a little bit of time like that it is very costly. It will be tough in the race tomorrow but we will work on a strategy to make up some places and do our best as always."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"It was the kind of result we were expecting but not the result we wanted. Again the field has been extremely tight and in each session we have seen that several cars are covered by just one or two tenths. Nevertheless, our level of competitiveness was nowhere near the level we had in Spa when we qualified on the front row and we are not happy about that. For the race we will choose a strategy to give us the best chance of moving up the field. We have more freedom with our fuel load compared to the top 10 and we will make the most of the opportunities available; there are still good chances to finish in the points."
Jarno Trulli will join around 100 VIPs at an exclusive charity auction tonight to raise money for the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake. Helmets and overalls from Formula 1 drivers will be auctioned to raise funds for his Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal, along with watches from Audemars Piguet, which has organised the event.
12th September 2009
Monza: Jarno expects Toyota to struggle
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78530
11th September 2009
Italian Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Lewis Hamilton is fastest, despite losing a fuel flap, clouting a few kerbs and exploring some escape roads. Second is his team mate followed by Sutil in the rejuvenated Force India. Timo spins and bounces over the new kerbs and is bottom of the time sheets, but Jarno is only one ahead in 19th. Fisichella’s first time in a Ferrari finishes P8. Top 6: Hamilton, Kovalainen, Sutil, Alonso, Heidfeld, Buemi.
Session 2: The Toyotas improve, thank goodness, in the second session, to P6 for Timo and P13 for Jarno. Sutil is fastest (despite missing the first half hour for an engine change), followed by Grosjean!!! Alonso is only third. Fisi is bottom this time, for no apparent reason and Button only just beats him! Top 6: Sutil, Grosjean, Alonso, Kovalainen, Kubica, Glock.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing completed the first two practice sessions for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza today. This weekend's race marks the final Grand Prix in Europe in 2009 and is also a home race for Jarno Trulli. The unique demands of Monza, which is the fastest circuit on the calendar, meant both Jarno and Timo Glock had new low-downforce aerodynamic items to test today. These included circuit-specific revisions to the front and rear wings. They both completed their programmes on a sunny day, in which air temperatures reached 28°C and track temperatures 41°C. The morning session saw both drivers complete a series of set-up comparisons on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres while further set-up fine-tuning was carried out in the afternoon. During that session Jarno and Timo also tested the soft compound tyres, gathering data which will allow the team to effectively plan its strategy for the weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 26.020s, (+2.084s) 23 laps
2nd Practice: 13th, 1m 24.967s (+1.043s), 40 laps
"That was a typical Friday for me and it went smoothly with no problems. As usual we tested the two different tyres and also worked on setting up the car. We made some improvements from first practice so in the afternoon I was happier with the car. We still have some work to do to improve and get the best out of it around this track so we will look at all the data to improve the set-up for qualifying. Today we also experienced the new kerbs at the chicanes for the first time and these seem to be okay; I had no problem with them. It's nice to be back in Italy, driving in front of my home fans, and I just hope I can do a good race on Sunday."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 20th, 1m 26.325s (+2.389s), 17 laps
2nd Practice: 6th, 1m 24.634s (+0.710s), 36 laps
"It was a reasonably good second practice. It was tougher in the morning but we made some changes to the set-up and in the afternoon the car felt better overall. We got more performance from the car and got through our normal programme with no issues. The car feels pretty good but of course we need to work on improving our lap times again. If we can find the right aero balance I think we will be okay here. The new kerbs are fine; they are different to last year but still acceptable. The weather was also quite a bit different to last year's rain and that was definitely an improvement."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Monza is always a very particular circuit to race on but due to the lack of testing this year the difference compared to other tracks seems to be even bigger. You have the usual problems of trying to get used to running much lower downforce, which obviously means you are lacking grip compared to your baseline configuration. We had a decent day and went through our programme which has given us plenty of information to work with so we will continue working on the car balance prior to qualifying. In terms of tyres, the medium and soft compounds seem to behave pretty much as expected so we don't expect any major issues as both appear to be reasonable."
7th September 2009
Italian Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 13 September, 2pm CET
Round: 13 of 17
Venue: Monza
Distance: 5.793km (53 laps)
Lap record: 1min 21.046s (2004)
History: Monza first held the Italian Grand Prix in 1921 and the race has been part of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1950. Monza has held all bar one of those races, with Imola hosting in 1980.
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels to another of Formula 1's most historic venues for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend at Monza. The track is high speed and was a venue on the original World Championship calendar, both attributes it shares with Spa-Francorchamps, host of the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago. The Italian Grand Prix is not only hallowed ground for Formula 1; it is also home turf for Jarno Trulli whose best finish at Monza was the fourth place he secured in 2002. Timo Glock has happy memories of the track having won and finished third in the two GP2 races there in 2007. Toyota's Monza highlights include fifth and sixth place finishes in 2005 while the team has qualified in the top 10 on five of its seven visits. Monza is characterised by long straights and tight chicanes, so the team will bring a similar low-downforce aerodynamic package as used at Spa with some adjustments. After regaining its qualifying form in Spa, the team is aiming for a return to the points this
weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "It is always a great occasion for me to be racing in front of the Italian fans and I really love the atmosphere at Monza. Of course, this is a home race for me so I have a lot of supporters in the grandstands and I really enjoy competing in front of such passionate fans. It would mean a lot to me to achieve a strong result in this race and I will be doing everything I can to do that. It was very encouraging in Belgium to start on the front row and hopefully this is a sign that we are now able to get the full potential out of the car in qualifying. I was unlucky in the race but I enjoyed the chance to fight at the front and I hope to be able to do that again in Italy. Our car looked quite strong at Spa and there will be a few changes for this weekend too; I am sure the competition will be very tight but we have the chance to get back in the points. Monza would be the perfect place to return to form so I am ready for the challenge."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Monza is all about speed but my memories of the track are of the rain last year because the whole weekend was wet. We got it right in qualifying and looked really strong for the race, but the conditions changed at the worst possible time so we missed the podium. The atmosphere is always incredible at Monza and it is a special experience to race there in front of such passionate fans. Every Formula 1 driver loves driving fast so Monza is obviously a fun place to race because it is all long straights broken up by chicanes, and the Lesmo corners are really exciting. Our car was competitive in Spa so it was a pity things didn't go well in the race, although it was a promising sign to see how well we qualified. Our target is again to be both in the top eight on Saturday because this gives us the best chance of getting the kind of result our car is capable of. I'm raring to go for this weekend and I'm determined to give the team a result to celebrate."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "In the past we always prepared a complete specific aerodynamic package for Monza but it is a little different this year. Considering the reduced downforce levels, as well as their proximity on the calendar, we will use a similar package to Spa because these are now the only two tracks requiring significantly reduced drag compared to our baseline configuration. As Monza remains the most demanding in terms of top speed we will have updates to our front and rear wings and we expect to be competitive again. But Monza is different to Spa because of the chicanes, which generate greater braking energy and require good braking stability. We will have a heavy-duty brake configuration with improved cooling so that the excessive wear Jarno suffered in the race at Spa should not be repeated. Our package performed well in Belgium and we were unfortunate that other circumstances prevented us from fighting for the podium. But that's what racing is about and we will fight hard again this weekend."
30th August 2009
Belgium Grand Prix – Race
Oh, the frustrations of Formula One! Not for Kimi Raikkonen though, who wins the race, or Giancarlo Fisichella who brings his Force India home in second place. KERS helps Kimi stay ahead, although he is pushed all the way by Fisichella. Vettel arrives at the chequered flag in third place, having jumped up several places through the pit stops in his pacy Red Bull. The Toyotas have a disastrous race: Jarno inadvertently clips the back of a slow Heidfeld at the first corner, has to pit for a front wing and winds up at the back. Later he has a fuel rig problem but soon after has to retire with brake problems. Toyota must have the duff fuel rig this weekend, as Timo is also delayed as the team have to switch to the back up rig. He finishes 10th. On the first lap 4 cars are wiped out as Button/Grosjean and Hamilton/Alguersuari spin and crash into the barriers at Les Combes, taking each other out. At the re-start after the safety car, Kimi presses the KERS button and overtakes Fisi on the run up to Les Combes. And that is that. The only other retiree is Alonso, whose damage by Sutil at the first corner causes a problem with a wheel change at the pit stop and Renault are not going to risk another potential ban. Webber has to serve a drive through penalty after the team send him out into the path of Heidfeld in the first pit stops and so his race is ruined. Top 8: Raikkonen, Fisichella, Vettel, Kubica, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Rosberg.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing's bid for a return to the podium in the Belgium Grand Prix came unstuck at the first corner of the race at Spa-Francorchamps today. After a brilliant qualifying, Jarno Trulli lined up second with Timo Glock seventh and the team was a genuine contender for honours. But as Jarno exited the first corner, his front wing was damaged in contact with the rear of Nick Heidfeld's car, forcing him to pit for a replacement. Timo, who also started on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre, made up places and ended the first lap fourth, with the safety car on track following a midfield accident. The safety car closed up the field and meant Jarno rejoined at the back while Timo kept up the fight in the top six. He changed to soft tyres at his first pit stop but lost time when the team had to switch to the back-up fuel rig and rejoined facing a battle for points. Jarno made his second stop to also take on soft tyres but a lap later his race ended early due to a brake
problem. After his final pit stop, for more soft rubber, Timo rejoined in a battle for points but ultimately missed out.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 7th
Race Classification: 10th (+41.490s)
Pit Stop Laps: 12, 32
"I made a pretty strong start and was running fourth when the safety car came out so we had a good chance of points. But at my first pit stop we had trouble with the fuel rig which cost me time and positions. The crew did well to quickly change to the back-up rig but nevertheless we lost time. Clearly there was a problem with the fuel rig and we have to analyse what happened and prevent any similar problems in the future. I did my best and the car was quite quick but it wasn't to be."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 2nd
Race Classification: DNF
Pit Stop Laps: 1, 20
"I can't say how disappointed I am with that race. I was really expecting a strong result because we were in great shape after qualifying. But at the first corner I was right behind Heidfeld and at the exit I expected him to pull away faster than he did. I'm not sure if he had a problem but I just touched him slightly and that broke the front wing. It was vibrating a lot so I had no choice but to make a pit stop. There was nothing I could do after that and in the end the team saw a problem with brake wear and decided it was safer to stop."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"Unfortunately we couldn't make the most of the car today, despite having such a promising grid position. I am sorry for our supporters because everyone was expecting a much better result. Jarno's race was decided on the first lap and Timo had a problem with the fuel rig which prevented him scoring points. So it was a very frustrating day for us, particularly because the car is competitive and we achieved our target of a significant improvement in qualifying. We will work at the factory to solve the fuel rig issue and get more out of the car for the Italian Grand Prix."
29th August 2009
Belgium Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
It’s all looking a bit strange at Spa, with BMW’s Heidfeld quickest in final practice. Jarno is second, and Sutil’s Force India is third. Timo is 5th. Fisichella has a change of front wing having inadvertently massacred a small animal with his first one. Top 6: Heidfeld, Jarno, Sutil, Grosjean, Glock, Kubica.
Qualifying.
Another shock as Fisichella takes pole for Force India. Be interesting to see what the fuel loads are. Jarno is second, a nice result, as Timo is 7th. The grid is quite topsy turvey, with both BMWs in the top 5. The Red Bulls are at the bottom of the top 10, and Button is 14th, although his team mate is 4th. The Toro Rossos don’t make it out of Q1 along with Nakajima, Grosjean and Badoer, who bins his Ferrari (and his Ferrari drive) at Les Combes. Some big names out in Q2 are both Mclarens, Button, and Hamilton. Oh, and Sutil. Top 10: Fisichella, Jarno, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Kubica, Raikkonen, Glock, Vettel, Rosberg.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing returned to the front row of the grid in an exciting qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps today. Following a promising final practice session, which saw Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock continue their impressive form from yesterday to record top-six lap times, the team was optimistic for qualifying. That optimism proved to be fully justified as both drivers established themselves as serious contenders from the opening laps in first qualifying. After an initial run on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, they switched to soft rubber to cruise into second qualifying, with Jarno already a clear pole position contender. That pattern continued in second qualifying when Jarno was fastest of all on soft tyres, with Timo also fighting for a top-six spot to set the scene for a remarkable final session. Jarno was in the hunt from the beginning, trading fastest times and both drivers, still using the soft tyres, improved on their final run. Jarno missed pole position by the narrowest of margins but nevertheless claimed his third front-row starting spot of the season while Timo was also on the pace, taking his best qualifying result since the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 2nd, 1m 45.462s (+0.074s), 18 laps
1st Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 45.140s (+0.038s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 1st, 1m 44.503s, 5 laps
3rd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 46.395s (+0.087s), 6 laps
"I am very happy to be on the front row again. We have always known that when things go right we have a very competitive car and all weekend we have looked extremely strong. In qualifying I was always in the top two, even though in first qualifying I took it a bit easy. I did a very quick lap in third qualifying and second place gives us a great chance tomorrow. We dropped the downforce a bit yesterday and spent most of the time balancing the car. Then we made a small change to the set-up this morning so I had better handling and traction for qualifying and it worked well. Also, I spent most of the weekend driving on race fuel so I am very happy with how things have turned out and it is looking pretty good for tomorrow. I have to thank the team who have worked really hard to improve and get a result like this; I dedicate it to all my mechanics."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 5th, 1m 45.908s (+0.520s), 18 laps
1st Qualifying: 7th, 1m 45.450s (+0.348s), 9 laps
2nd Qualifying: 7th, 1m 44.877s (+0.374s), 5 laps
3rd Qualifying: 7th, 1m 46.677s, (+0.369s) 6 laps
"Today was a good result for the whole team and it is a nice feeling to be fighting at the front again. My lap was pretty tidy so overall I am happy with it; we have worked hard on improving the qualifying pace and we got our reward today. The team brought a new aero package to this race and it seems to be working well. From the start of the weekend we believed we could be strong here because the car felt quick throughout practice and it's great to carry that speed into qualifying. We had good race pace in Hungary and Valencia so I am optimistic for tomorrow. I hope to finish in the top five; it will not be easy but I'm really looking forward to the challenge."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"It has been a good weekend for us so far and we are happy to be back at the front. We saw from the start of the weekend that both cars were quick and consistent in all conditions and it is a good feeling. For the first time in three races we have qualified where our race pace has been so the weekend looks promising and we are ready for an exciting Sunday tomorrow. Congratulations to our drivers who have done a very impressive job this weekend; they both work extremely hard and it is very satisfying to see that rewarded. I would also like to say thanks to the people back at the factory, as well as those here at the track. They never give up and it is particularly pleasing to deliver a good performance at Spa, which is so close to the factory in Cologne. Now our clear target is to convert this strong qualifying into a result tomorrow."
Jarno’s comments from the press conference presumably. (BBC didn’t have time to go there)
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78110
28th August 2009
Belgium Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: It’s Spa, so it’s bound to rain at some point over the weekend and it happens to be a third of the way into first practice. That’s okay though, as when it starts, Jarno is quickest and stays that way till the end. At that moment Jenson is second and Alonso third. Timo is back in 18th. Buemi is the quickest wet runner until he goes off at Pouhon, damaging his nose(cone) again. Vettel only does an installation lap as he is in engine-saving mode. Top 6: Jarno, Button, Alonso, Buemi, Alguersuari, Barrichello.
Session 2: It’s dry in the second session, and Hamilton is quickest, with our Timo second and Raikkonen third. The other Ferrari is slowest again. The two Brawns are down there as well though. Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso may have had an engine failure at Fagnes, where Hamilton and Raikkonen also have offs, possibly on the oil. Jarno is 7th. Top 6: Hamilton, Glock, Raikkonen, Webber, Grosjean, Fisichella.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing was back on track again today just five days after the European Grand Prix, with the first practice sessions at Spa-Francorchamps. The classic track, venue for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, is located just over an hour's drive from the team's technical centre in Cologne, Germany and the weekend started positively for the local team. Spa is famed for changeable weather and that reputation was enhanced in first practice when clouds gathered and rain fell a few minutes in. By that time Jarno Trulli had already set a flying lap, unlike team-mate Timo Glock. With no improvement in conditions, both drivers took to the track later in the session on wet Bridgestone Potenza tyres, gathering information about the TF109's handling in rain. By virtue of his early lap on a dry track, Jarno was fastest but Timo's only timed laps came in the wet, leaving him down the order. Afternoon sun dried the track for second practice, allowing both drivers to concentrate on
evaluating the revised front and rear wings which the team is using at Spa as part of its low-downforce aerodynamic package. In addition, comparison runs between the medium and soft tyres were carried out with Timo ending the day an impressive second fastest and Jarno also in the top eight.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 1st, 1m 49.675s, 13 laps
2nd Practice: 7th, 1m 47.559s (+0.358s), 33 laps
"It was a good Friday for us. Obviously there is still work to do to get the most out of the car and I need to find a bit more grip at the rear end but all in all I am very happy with the results today. I have a good feeling from the car so I hope it will be a competitive weekend for us. The track was wet this morning which meant we couldn't do all of the tests we had planned but we did some laps to better understand the car in those conditions. In the afternoon, when it was dry, the track just got quicker and quicker. I was working mainly on race pace today, getting the car set-up in race trim so we have a good balance for Sunday, and it seems to be reacting well."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 18th, 2m 06.331s (+16.656s), 15 laps
2nd Practice: 2nd, 1m 47.217s (+0.016s), 29 laps
"Whenever you come back to Spa it is a nice experience to do your first laps of the weekend and that was the case again today. It's a great circuit and very satisfying for a driver, especially when you have a competitive car. It's hard to draw any conclusions from the wet session this morning but I am pleased to be second in the afternoon; that is very encouraging. The car felt pretty good and the lap times show that. Still, there are a couple of areas to improve so we will work on those before qualifying and try to find the perfect aerodynamic balance. I am happy with how things went today and I'm interested to see where we are tomorrow."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Overall it has been a positive day for us. It was a bit unfortunate that the first session was disrupted by wet conditions because dry weather is forecast for the rest of the weekend, so we lost some time to work on the car. In the afternoon we were mainly concentrating on assessing the revised aerodynamic package we have brought to this race. We also looked at the tyres and both specifications seem to be behaving okay. We anticipated some warm-up issues but that doesn't seem to be the case. In general we are quite happy with what we have seen so far so we are looking forward with optimism to the rest of the weekend."
24th August 2009
Belgium Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 30 August, 2pm CET
Round: 12 of 17
Venue: Spa-Francorchamps
Distance: 7.004km (44 laps)
Lap record: 1min 47.930s (2008)
History: First held in 1925, the Belgian Grand Prix was a regular event at Spa-Francorchamps and gained Formula 1 World Championship status in 1950. Since then it has been absent on six occasions and held at three tracks: Spa-Francorchamps (41 times), Zolder (10) and Nivelles (2).
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to one of the world's classic race tracks this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, just a short distance from its headquarters in Cologne, Germany. The legendary track is a favourite of many drivers, including Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, for its challenging combination of corners and undulating, spectacular scenery. The Belgian Grand Prix has a special place in Panasonic Toyota Racing's history as the venue where the team registered its first fastest race lap, in 2005, while before joining Toyota, Jarno started from pole position in 2004. Race results still offer room for improvement though; seventh place is the best so far and bettering that is the target this weekend. The team will use a new aerodynamic package, designed for the lower downforce demands of Spa and Monza, venue for next month's Italian Grand Prix.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "Spa is a fantastic track and definitely my favourite in Formula 1. It is a real driver's circuit and that suits me perfectly. There is almost every type of corner, so all the way around the lap you are challenged and I love that. Every time you drive around Spa it is amazing but I have to say it was special to get pole position there a few years ago. It was disappointing not to achieve more last weekend in Valencia but it's a different style of lay-out compared to Spa. The competition in F1 is particularly tough at the moment but we are fighting hard and it would be great to get a good result at such a special place. Spa always gives me a positive feeling and we'll be pushing as hard as we can to get the best possible result."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Along with Monaco, Spa is my favourite circuit. To drive a Formula 1 car around it is a fantastic experience and it's one of the best feelings you can have in this sport. It's one of those circuits you dream about racing on when you are growing up; it's just a very impressive track. Even though I really enjoy the circuit, I have some frustrating memories of the place; being taken out by another driver on the warm-up lap in 2007 and being penalised last year when I did one of the best final laps of my career to get into the points. That was all down to bad luck so I am due a change! Last year the weather was a big factor in the race and rain always seems to be a risk at Spa, but I have been quick there in the wet and dry so I am excited about this weekend."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "Spa is a truly spectacular circuit, not just for the drivers, but for anyone who has the privilege of watching a Formula 1 car there, particularly through Eau Rouge. The forces generated through this corner are extreme, especially for the suspension. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 cars behave; even though there is less downforce, we now have more grip with the slick tyres so I expect it to remain flat-out in the dry. Spa is in the medium-low downforce range and it is quite severe on almost all components, with only the brakes having a relatively easy time because there is plenty of cooling and not so much heavy braking. We will use the soft and medium compound tyres and it will be the first time we have used these together at a race weekend this season. However, we have plenty of experience of both so we have a clear idea of what to expect."
23rd August 2009
European Grand Prix – Race
Rubens Barrichello wins the race so unfortunately we had to listen to him sobbing with joy in the cockpit. Almost prefer to hear him moaning. Hamilton is second, losing the lead when the McLaren mechanics fail to notice they only have 3 tyres instead of 4 ready in his second pitstop. This is denied by McLaren in a long convoluted explanation by Whitmarsh, who say the difference is 2 seconds and Brawn had better race pace. We saw it on TV though… Raikkonen sneaks up in third after a quiet race. Two retirees: Vettel with more engine probs (he’s running out of engines fast!), and Buemi with brake failure. Grosjean hits Glock from behind early in the first lap, leading to a stop for repairs and Buemi also needs a new nose. On the car, obviously. Glock is eventually 14th, but does set the fastest lap after a late third stop and fresh tyres. Jarno plods around on a one stopper, eventually finishing 13th. Poor ol’ Luca Badoer has a torturous race involving a drive through and a spin, classified 17th and last. Top 8: Barrichello, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Alonso, Button, Kubica.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing completed a difficult weekend by missing out on the top 10 in the European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia, Spain today despite setting the fastest lap of the race. A tough afternoon was expected following a frustrating qualifying session and that proved to be the case on another hot and sunny day. The race started badly when Timo Glock was hit from behind in the first corners, causing a puncture and necessitating a first-lap pit stop for new soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Jarno Trulli, also starting on the soft tyres, made up three places on the first lap but on a track where overtaking is almost impossible the top 10 proved to be out of reach. Both drivers started on heavy fuel loads and passed half distance before making their first pit stop, each switching to super soft tyres. Timo's strategy featured two relatively short stints on the super soft tyres and he switched to a new set with just a few laps to go. Neither driver gave up and in
the closing stages Timo set the fastest lap of the whole race with a 1min 38.683s effort, Panasonic Toyota Racing's third in Formula 1.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 18th
Race Classification: 13th (+64.527s)
Pit Stop Laps: 34
"The start wasn't great and the car didn't improve from qualifying, when I was struggling a lot with a lack of grip. So I had the same problems again today and the grip was nowhere close to where it had been earlier in the weekend during practice. I did my best but there was nothing I could do to improve my position. I hope for a better weekend in Belgium."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 13th
Race Classification: 14th (+86.519s)
Pit Stop Laps: 1, 32, 49
"It was a pity the race started like that because over a race distance we were pretty quick, just like we were in Budapest. At the first corner I had to dive down the inside because the cars in front were braking heavily so I had to avoid them. Then I was hit from behind and basically any hope I had of getting a decent position was finished there and then. But I pushed as hard as possible for the rest of the race to at least get some more data and we showed what might have been by setting the fastest lap right at the end."
John Howett - President
"That was clearly not the result we wanted or expected from this Grand Prix. It has been a very difficult weekend but we must put this behind us and we have another race next week in which to show our true potential. We have to understand why our relative qualifying pace is worse than our relative race pace because our car is reasonably competitive, as Timo showed by setting the fastest lap. We have to get on top of this and take advantage of what the car can offer."
22nd August 2009
European Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
There is a surprise leader in Adrian Sutil. This partly comes about because he is quickest when Vettel’s engine fails half way through and it takes 28 minutes to clear it away and make the track usable again after the oil spillage. With only 4 minutes of the session left, no one gets up to speed in the cement dust and Sutik remains quickest, Nakajima second. Jarno is 9th, Timo 16th. Badoer is 3 seconds slower than Sutil. It’s not working. Top 6: Sutil, Nakajima, Kubica, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Fisichella.
Qualifying
Rubbish! Rubbish! Rubbish! Jarno can’t get out of Q1, ends up 18th and doesn’t know why! Only Alguersuari and Badoer are behind him. Fisichella and Nakajima also don’t make it into Q2. Timo is stuck in Q2 in P13. Around him are Heidfeld, Sutil, Grosjean, and Buemi. Hamilton takes pole and Kovalainen is next to him in an all McLaren front row. Barrichello is third, and Button fifth, as the Brawns look quicker again. Top 10: Hamilton, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Alonso., Webber, Kubica.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing endured an afternoon of frustration in qualifying for the European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia, Spain today. After a disrupted morning practice, in which around 28 minutes were lost due to a red flag for oil on the track, qualifying began under blue skies with air temperatures of 31°C and track temperatures hitting 47°C. In common with recent qualifying sessions, a close fight was expected and the competition was as hot as the conditions on the 5.419km street track around Valencia's America's Cup harbour. Both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock started first qualifying using the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre but switched to the super soft option for a final stint on low fuel. Timo saved his best for last and progressed thanks to a battling final flying lap but Jarno, who crossed the line just in front of his team-mate, missed out. Timo again used the super soft tyres for his fastest flying laps in second qualifying and ended the session 13th,
just 0.209secs outside of the top 10.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 16th, 1m 40.443s (+1.300s), 10 laps
1st Qualifying: 15th, 1m 39.459s (+0.928s), 9 laps
2nd Qualifying: 13th, 1m 38.991s (+0.915s), 6 laps
"That wasn't a good result. We struggled a bit for pace this morning in the short third practice and in the end we were just a couple of tenths away from being in the top 10, which is a pity. I was having trouble in first qualifying but in the second session the car wasn't too bad until the final corners when the rear tyres dropped off quite a lot. I was pushing to the maximum but the tyres didn't really survive. So we have to start again from 13th as we did in Hungary and try to repeat what we did there by finding a way to get into the points. It will be a difficult task but I will do everything I can."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 9th, 1m 40.017s (+0.874s), 11 laps
1st Qualifying: 18th, 1m 39.807s (+1.276s), 10 laps
"I was expecting qualifying to be a bit difficult but not as bad as that. This morning the car felt reasonable even if we were a little short of grip. But it was much worse in qualifying; I really had no grip and there was nothing I could do. I just kept pushing and took a few more risks than normal but it didn't work out. I don't know why we struggled so much; it is a mystery to me. For the race tomorrow I can just do my best and see what happens."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We can only be unhappy about that result as it is another extremely disappointing qualifying for us. In the last races we have shown that our race pace is better and gives us a chance to move up the field, although obviously that will be tough. Now we have to take a close look at all our options to see how we can fight back as we did in Hungary. Track conditions are changing continuously so we will look at the effect of that on the tyres for the race and try to make the best of it."
21st August 2009
European Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Back on track in Valencia, Barrichello is fastest in the first session, even though he finishes with his car stuck in gear. Heikki Kovalainen, fighting for his McLaren seat, is second fastest. Jarno and Timo are a disappointing 18th (JT) and 19th, slower than Renault’s new boy, Romain Grosjean. Luca Badoer, on his Ferrari debut is, dead last, making Jaime Alguersuari (17th) look like an old hand! Top 6: Barrichello, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Button, Vettel, Sutil.
Session 2: Home boy Fernando Alonso is quickest, ahead of the Brawns. Not without incident though: after an hour, Alonso manages to collide with Nick Heidfeld at the last corner, lifting the BMW in the air and both having to pit for repairs. To finish off, Alonso later has a spin at turn 17 while trying to improve. Badoer improves a bit to 18th, although luckily, Hamilton is bottom after an early spin damages the car, and McLaren don’t have a spare nosecone. Jarno is 12th and Glock 15th. Top 6: Alonso, Button, Barrichello, Rosberg, Nakajima, Sutil.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing was back in action today after the four-week summer break with the first practice sessions for the European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia in Spain. Under clear blue skies and a hot summer sun temperatures soared, reaching 30°C and creating track temperatures of 50°C. But both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock had worked out during the break, as well as relaxing among family and friends, so they were prepared for the challenge. A trouble-free morning session saw both drivers evaluate front wing options while gather information on the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with the track surface still relatively dusty. Further set-up evaluations took place in the afternoon as the track conditions improved, along with comparison runs to fully understand both the soft and super soft tyres available this weekend. That also ended without incident and the team has plenty of information to work with to maximise the potential of the TF109 in qualifying tomorrow.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 18th, 1m 44.638s (+2.178s), 26 laps
2nd Practice: 12th, 1m 40.770s (+1.366s), 32 laps
"First of all it is very nice to be back in the car after a long summer break. I am also pleased to be here in the good weather and at a nice track. Basically today was a normal Friday for us without any exceptional situations. Everything went smoothly and we had no troubles so we were able to evaluate the tyres and the set-ups to make sure we are prepared for the rest of the weekend. We still have some work to do to make the most of our car but it is difficult to see a true picture of where stand after practice as you never know exactly what programmes other teams are working on. The car feels okay but we will work to get more performance from it."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 44.732s (+2.272s), 28 laps
2nd Practice: 15th, 1m 40.985s (+1.581s), 30 laps
"That was a pretty good day for me overall. The car feels quite positive and balanced which is a promising start to the weekend and we successfully ran through our whole programme. We planned a lot of work today but there were no technical issues and the guys all did a good job so now we have a lot of data to look at overnight. The task now is to fine-tune the car for tomorrow and the race; hopefully we can be strong. It's hard to predict what the order is at the moment because the lap times are close but we will do our best."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"We had some new parts to test throughout the day and we collected plenty of data so we are in a position to make the right choice for tomorrow. This track is not used regularly and as a result we saw a really big circuit evolution, especially in the morning session. Due to our busy programme we had to go out early in that session to complete all our work and on the green track we damaged our tyres. That made first practice a little harder than expected but everything came back to normal in the afternoon. Even though the circuit continued to evolve, the tyres behaved a lot better than in first practice because there was more rubber on the track. We seem to be in a situation where both compounds will be workable for the race without major problems."
17th August 2009
European Grand Prix - Preview
Venue: Valencia Street Circuit
Distance: 5.419km (57 laps)
Lap record: 1min 38.708s (2008)
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing hits the Spanish streets this weekend for the European Grand Prix in Valencia after a four-week summer break. This year marks the second running of the race around Valencia's Americas Cup port, on a circuit which includes a bridge across the harbour and a super-fast second sector where cars hit over 315km/h. The team has happy memories of Valencia, having excelled there last year when Jarno Trulli finished fifth and Timo Glock, despite a heavy cold, took seventh. With the TF109 showing itself to be a step forward on the TF108, hopes are high for a similarly strong performance this weekend. As with the Hungarian Grand Prix three weeks ago, the team again uses the super soft and soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, making it three consecutive races where the softest compound in the range has been utilised. Having achieved a double points finish thanks to its strong race performance in Hungary on these tyres, the team is confident of another extremely competitive
weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I am really glad to be racing again; it's great to have some time off to relax with my family but my passion is racing so it's good to be getting back to the track. It seems like a long time since the last race so everyone in the team is fired up to come out fighting this weekend. Valencia is not such an exciting circuit for me but that doesn't matter so much if we are strong, which we were last year on this track. Unlike somewhere like Monaco, Valencia is actually very fast for a street circuit so that should suit our car pretty well. In fact, it doesn't really feel much like a street circuit at all because it is so much faster than other city tracks. We were in the top six last year in Valencia and that is my target this season. It was good to have both cars in the points in Hungary. The Valencia track has a different character so it's difficult to predict at this stage but my target is to score as many points as possible."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "I really enjoy street circuits and I generally perform very well on them. Valencia was tricky last year for me because I had a bad cold and it was a real challenge just to finish the race, so I didn't enjoy the weekend as much as I could have. This year I am determined to really have fun in the car and hopefully finish even higher than I managed in 2008. We know from last year that overtaking is very difficult on this track so qualifying will be particularly important, which is a similar situation to the previous race in Hungary. After finishing in the top six from 13th on the grid in Budapest, my goal this weekend is to start as high as possible and give myself the best chance for a good result in the race. I had a relaxing time over the summer break but I also did some fitness work as well and I never stop thinking about racing so I am well prepared for this race."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "Valencia is by definition a street circuit as the track is based on public roads but in many ways it is different to more typical street circuits like Monaco or Singapore. It is a relatively high-speed track with very long straights; therefore the aerodynamic efficiency requirements are completely different to other street tracks. Unlike Monaco or Singapore, you are not aiming for high downforce, we are looking in the middle of the range, and it is extremely tough on brakes. But in other ways it is still recognisably a street circuit as the barriers are quite close so there is little margin for error. We are confident for this Grand Prix because the circuit corresponds to what appears to be the best aerodynamic efficiency window for our car and we went well there last year. So we are really looking forward to racing again after the summer break and we expect a positive result."
26th July 2009
Hungarian Grand Prix – Race
It proves to be a more interesting race than expected. Toyota get both drivers in the points for a start. They move up a place at the start due to the absence of the unlucky Felipe Massa, and continue to gain a few places until Timo finishes 6th and Jarno 8th. It seems traffic is to blame for Timo getting past Jarno through the pit stops. The Red Bulls slip back a bit, with Vettel even retiring with car damage, but a podium third place for Webber. The Brawns are also in the doldrums, although Jenson does get past Jarno for 7th place, but Barrichello is only 10th. Hamilton wins the race, with good use of the KERS button. What did Eddie Jordan say he’d do if a KERS car wins a race? It’s taken 10 races though, and failures by others! Alonso leads the race until his first stop, which proves to be his undoing. He is released too soon, his right front wheel is not attached to the wheel properly and comes loose and bounces free on his outlap. Although he limps back to the pits for a new one, damage is terminal and he retires after briefly rejoining. Renault’s participation in the next GP in Valencia is also terminated later in the day at the behest of the stewards following the wheel incident. And Alonso is Spanish. Oh dear. One wonders if the penalty would be the same if Massa’s accident had not been caused by loose parts. Webbers Red Bull almost collides with Raikkonen in the pitlane after Red Bull allow him to leave a little too soon but this only leads to a reprimand later. Jaime Alguersuari has an uneventful race but actually manages to beat his team mate after Buemi has a mid-race spin at turn 2. What a plonker! Top 8: Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Glock, Button, Trulli.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing claimed a double points finish thanks to fighting performances from Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli in the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring today. They lined up just outside the top 10 after an incredibly close qualifying session but showed their positive intent as soon as the race started. On the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, both made up a position off the line and the first lap ended with Jarno 10th and Timo 12th. A long first stint helped Jarno reach second before his first pit stop, where he took on more super soft tyres, while Timo also reached the top three before pitting. Great work by the pit crew on both occasions helped establish the Toyotas as points contenders. Both drivers were pushing hard on a strategy which called for a short final stint on soft tyres. By that stage points were in their grasp and Jarno fought valiantly to take his sixth top-eight finish of the season. Timo was even aiming for fifth place in the closing stages and
recorded a string of fast laps to put the pressure on. He closed the gap but could not pass, ending the race seven places higher than his starting position and collecting points for the sixth time in 2009.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 13th
Race Classification: 6th (+35.237s) Pit Stop Laps: 32, 60
"I thoroughly enjoyed my race and to finish inside the top six after starting from 13th is a very good result. I have to say thanks to the team for their good work this weekend, especially to my car crew who have done such a great job. Our strategy was really strong today and the car felt spot on, so it was a nice race for me. In the first stint, on such a heavy fuel load, I struggled a little to start with but then I found a good rhythm and made up a lot of time, especially in the second stint. I had a really good feeling for the car and the tyres performed very well; really consistent. This result is better than I expected today so I am happy and it's nice to be back in the points again."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 11th
Race Classification: 8th (+68.172s) Pit Stop Laps: 28, 58
"I said yesterday that I never give up and I think today's result shows that because I made up several positions and finished in the points again. The car felt strong early in the race and I think I had good pace but I was also stuck in traffic and that made things a little tricky. Later on I started to lose a bit of grip but I kept fighting because I knew we could get in the points. It's a pity we qualified outside the top 10 because who knows what could have been possible but I am happy to be in the points again and this is a positive result for the team. Now I am looking forward to the European Grand Prix in Valencia where I hope we will be even stronger."
John Howett - President
"That was a strong team effort and I am pleased with our performance today, especially after the difficult qualifying. The drivers performed exceptionally well to make up so many places; we had a strong strategy and the pit crew did a great job, all of which is very encouraging. We have to understand why we did not show this performance in qualifying but we will be working hard to remedy that for the next race so we can get both cars into the top six. Our factory closes for two weeks at the start of August and that gives us time to gather our strength and come back with renewed vigour in Valencia, where we performed well last year and aim to do so again this time."
25th July 2009
Hungarian Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
Nope. Not a false dawn, not in practice anyway…. Hamilton’s McLaren tops the time sheets again in final practice. Heidfeld is second though, so we will hold judgement! Jarno is 12th and Timo is 6th, even though he misses most of the session with repairs necessary to a hydraulic leak. Sutil misjudges the entry to turn 8 and veers into the gravel and tyre barrier, which is an unusual place to go off. He’s either very good or very bad! Top 6: Hamilton, Heidfeld, Rosberg. Kovalainen, Buemi, Glock.
Qualifying
Alonso takes a surprise pole at the top and Jaime Alguersuari takes up the bottom place although he is hampered by an engine problem which stops him on track. He is down there with both Force Indias and both BMWs…. Heidfeld must have yearned for the heights of practice 3! Q2 is blighted by an accident which seems to have been caused by a piece of suspension breaking off from Barrichello’s Brawn and striking Massa’s helmet a glancing blow, causing him to temporarily lose consciousness with his car heading straight for the tyre barriers of turn 4. It leaves him with a cut head and concussion and he will not race tomorrow. He had already qualified for Q3 so his car starts 10th. Unfortunately the Toyotas can only manage 12th (Jarno) and 14th on the grid, eliminated alongside Piquet, Buemi and the suspensionless Barrichello. The timing screens go down at the end and we have the bizarre sight of the drivers asking each other what their times are to establish who is on pole! Top 10: Alonso, Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Button, Nakajima, Massa.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered disappointment in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring today. On another hot and sunny afternoon, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock took part in a very close-fought contest, beginning in first qualifying. Both drivers chose to start that session on soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, which increased in pace during the run. For their final flying laps, they changed to the super soft compound but a yellow flag in the closing minutes caused a late scramble for a quick lap time. Jarno and Timo both held their nerve and pulled off fast laps to progress. The super soft tyres were the rubber of choice throughout second qualifying, although Jarno was not able to set a competitive time on his first run due to traffic. Lap times were again incredibly close and, despite being less than a second shy of the fastest time with their late laps, both Toyotas did not reach third qualifying. Following his accident today, the team sends it best wishes to Felipe Massa and hopes to see him back at the track very soon.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 12th, 1m 22.097s (+1.088s), 25 laps
1st Qualifying: 8th, 1m 21.416s (+0.623s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 12th, 1m 21.082s (+0.724s), 8 laps
"I have not been particularly happy with the car all weekend and unfortunately we couldn't make it into the top 10 today. The lap times have been very close all weekend and just a couple of tenths makes a big difference in the standings. Ultimately we didn't have the pace. It's difficult at the moment to judge exactly where we were lacking but obviously we were hoping for a better result. I am a racing driver and I never give up; the race is long and anything can happen so I will do my best to score points."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 6th, 1m 21.849s (+0.840s), 12 laps
1st Qualifying: 14th, 1m 21.584s (+0.791s), 11 laps
2nd Qualifying: 14th, 1m 21.242s (+0.884s), 8 laps
"I am disappointed with that result, especially because this morning I felt we had quite a good package and the car felt competitive, even though I lost some time. For some reason we just couldn't get the best lap time out of the car, which is a pity. On my last flying lap I caught another car in the final corner and lost a little time; I am sure I would have been able to go faster but that's how things go in qualifying on a twisty track like this. Starting from 14th makes it difficult for us tomorrow because overtaking is pretty much impossible here but we will see what we can do in terms of strategy and of course we will do our best."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"Obviously we have had a few troubles this weekend. We had various technical issues with both cars, including a loss of hydraulic pressure for Timo this morning, and this has caused us to lose some valuable track time. The field is clearly very tight at the moment and if you are not getting the full potential out of your car, it costs you a lot. We haven't performed well so far this weekend and the result today was not good enough. Still, we have to focus on the race tomorrow and look at the various options we have to try to make up positions."
24th July 2009
Hungarian Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: Beware the McLarens! Here they come again… or is it a false dawn? Heikki Kovalainen is fastest in the morning, with his team mate third, and Nico Rosberg second in the sandwich. Jaime Alguesuari makes his debut in the Toro Rosso and doesn’t hit anything. He is bottom, of course. The rest of the grid leaves him and his team mate to sweep the dusty track for the first 40 minutes of the session, so it works for everyone! Jarno is 6th and Timo 14th. Top 6: Kovalainen, Rosberg, Hamilton, Webber, Nakajima, Trulli.
Session 2: Jarno loses some time with an electrical problem but is still 8th, with Timo 10th. Webber has hydraulic issues and misses a chunk of the session.Those darned McLarens are first and second, with Rosberg next. Jaime is still keeping out of trouble on his way to last place. Top 6: Hamilton, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Webber, Nakajima, Vettel. No sign of any Brawns!
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing started its Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with three hours of practice at the Hungaroring for Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock today. The twisty circuit on the outskirts of Budapest is generally dusty for the start of practice and that proved to be the case again today, with track conditions improving steadily throughout. After chilly weather during the previous two Grands Prix, Hungary lived up to its reputation as one of the hottest race weekends on the calendar, with air temperatures reaching 29°C and track temperatures 47°C. The team used first practice to compare various set-up changes and establish a solid baseline for the rest of the weekend, while also evaluating several upgrades. Tyres were the main focus of second practice, with the team trying out the super soft and soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, as last used together in Monaco. Unfortunately, Jarno's session was interrupted by an electrical glitch caused by temperature problems which forced him to
stop on track midway through. But fast work by the team solved the problem and enabled him to resume the session after only half an hour's delay, immediately joining Timo in the top 10.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 6th, 1m 22.705s (+0.427s), 17 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 22.663s (+0.584s), 28 laps
"It was a difficult day for me and I had a bit of trouble. It was disappointing we couldn't do all the work we had planned in second practice due to the problem but the team did a great job to get the car ready again so quickly. It's not easy to say where we are in terms of competitiveness or set-up because it didn't run as smoothly as normal. The track conditions evolved quite a lot during the day, as expected, and by the end of the second session there was a lot more grip than in the morning. Now it is important to make the best possible use of tomorrow's practice session so we are well prepared for qualifying."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 14th, 1m 23.234s (+0.956s), 30 laps
2nd Practice: 10th, 1m 22.751s (+0.672s), 45 laps
"Today was quite positive for me and overall I am definitely happier than at this stage of the weekend at the Nürburgring. The car felt quite good, especially later in second practice when the track had rubbered in more. There wasn't a lot of grip this morning or for the first few laps of the afternoon session so it was a little tricky but it improved after that. So I am happy with how things have gone for me, but of course we still have work to do to improve the set-up even more. We have taken a step in the right direction and I hope for a strong qualifying tomorrow."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"As usual here in Hungary, the track initially had quite poor grip but this improved significantly during the sessions. We had some temperature problems on Jarno's car in the afternoon which caused him to stop on track at one stage. Also, his morning session was also not entirely trouble-free and we needed to change some components, which cost a little time. So he lost a bit of running and is therefore a little behind in his programme. Timo had a smooth day without any problems so we will transfer some of the information we learned from his work to Jarno's car. It is interesting to see how close the field is today, with almost the whole field covered by one second, so it will be really important tomorrow to get everything spot on in qualifying and get the cars as far up the grid as we can."
20th July 2009
Hungarian Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 26 July, 2pm CET
Round: 10 of 17
Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
Distance: 4.381km (70 laps)
Lap record: 1min 19.071 (2004)
History: Hungary hosted its first Grand Prix back in 1936 but it was 50 years before the second, in 1986. The Hungarian Grand Prix has been on the calendar ever since and this year will be the 24th at the Hungaroring.
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels east across Europe this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on the outskirts of Budapest. In keeping with its philosophy of continuous improvement, the team has a further package of upgrades available, including a rear wing evolution, while two consecutive compounds of Bridgestone Potenza tyre will be used. The soft and super soft compounds have been chosen due to the specific requirements of the low-speed, 14-turn Hungaroring. The track has been a happy hunting ground in recent years, with the team having a presence in the top six in qualifying and the race on all its last four visits. Timo already has a prized souvenir of the Hungaroring after achieving his first Formula 1 podium there last year, when he finished a well-deserved second place. That was Toyota's second podium in Hungary, following Ralf Schumacher's third place in 2005, and the team is focused on achieving another positive result this time around.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I enjoy visiting Budapest, and the Hungarian Grand Prix is an enjoyable one for me. The Hungaroring is a challenging track from a driver's perspective because it is very narrow with a lot of corners, even though it is quite a short lap. It might not be one of the fastest tracks on the calendar but it is actually good fun to drive, although you have to keep your concentration because you get punished badly by going off line. It is very close among several teams at the moment so it is difficult to predict what will happen in Hungary but if we can do a smooth weekend with no problems then we will be competitive. The last race weekend was very frustrating for me because we had a lot more performance than the result showed but we are all determined to make up for that with a good points finish in Hungary."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Obviously Hungary is a special race in my career after the podium there last season. That was the first of several strong points finishes for me and I hope another competitive weekend there can get the ball rolling again this year. I am in a positive mood and optimistic I can score again. It was disappointing to just miss the points at the last race, especially in front of my home fans, but I made up 11 places after starting from the pit lane so we have the potential to finish much higher. One of my targets this weekend will be to get a perfect lap in qualifying because that has been an issue in the last couple of races for various reasons. Lap times are really close this year so if you are a tenth or two off your maximum pace in qualifying you can drop a few positions and that makes life harder in the race. We'll be pushing as hard as possible and I am sure we will bounce back."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "We are looking forward with optimism to the Hungarian Grand Prix. Even though the Hungaroring is a low average speed circuit it consists mainly of medium-speed corners with very few really slow corners, but still you need plenty of downforce. The track is quite hard on brakes, which is demanding in terms of braking stability and cooling. Also, tyre grip and consistency management can be a challenge because the track surface and lay-out are very specific; it is low grip with high cornering severity. That created a risk that the hard specifications would struggle for grip while the soft specs could suffer severe graining but Bridgestone has reacted so we will use the soft and super soft tyre to avoid that situation. We are likely to face high ambient temperatures this weekend but the cooling efficiency of our car is very good so we can cope with these conditions without degrading the aerodynamic performance."
11th July 2009
German Grand Prix – Race
A complete waste of time for Toyota, although Timo did come close to a point right at the end, finishing 9th after a one stopper. But they came away with nothing and Jarno was last apart from Hamilton. Jarno’s misfortune was being the victim of a careless driver who damaged his front wing, so his first pit stop came on lap 2. Then he was stuck in traffic before setting the 2nd fastest lap, but finishing in 17th place. Nico Rosberg came from 15th on the grid to finish 4th which shows what could have been achieved with a similar strategy if fate had not intervened. Hamilton got carried away at the start, steaming over enthusiastically to the first corner, only to touch Webber’s front wing and give himself a puncture. That condemned Lewis to the back of the field for the whole race. Webber was fending off Barrichello for the lead at the time and bashed into him for which he was given a drive through penalty. As the field was backed up by Kovalainen though, Webber was able to re-join in the lead and the race unfolded to give him his first F1 victory. The Brawns were unable to live with the Red Bulls today and finished 5th and 6th with Barrichello moaning like hell. The Brawns were 3 stopping and Barrichello had a problem with the re-fuelling rig at his second stop which cost him a couple of seconds. Button got past him in their final stops. The Red Bulls went on to take a 1-2 victory with Massa third. Only 2 retirements: Bourdais who had a car problem on lap 19 and Raikkonen who had a loss of power in the car and possibly his brain as he managed to spoil Sutil’s race yet again by clashing with him as the Force India re-joined after a pit stop. Top 8: Webber, Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Button, Barrichello, Alonso, Kovalainen.
PRESS RELEASE
German Grand Prix - Race Round-Up
Sunday 12 July 2009
Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered another frustrating day at the Nürburgring as the German Grand Prix ended with the team narrowly missing out on the points. Following yesterday's weather-affected qualifying, the race was always likely to be difficult and the team planned its strategy with that in mind. Both drivers started on heavy fuel loads and the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with Timo Glock lining up from the pit lane as part of his strategy. Jarno Trulli fought hard for position on the opening lap but was hit by another car, forcing him to pit for a new front wing on lap two. He returned to the track in 19th and was lapping on the pace of the top-six cars before becoming stuck in traffic and pitting for medium tyres after a third of the race. Timo, as the only car on a one-stop strategy, battled valiantly on his heavy fuel load and by half distance he was in the top 10. He made the latest first pit stop of all to switch to medium tyres and continued his charge for the
points. He closed within half a second of the top eight but narrowly missed out after making up 11 places during the race. Jarno took advantage of clear air in the closing stages to record the second-fastest race lap but his first-lap incident had by then denied him any chance of points.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 14th
Race Classification: 17th (+90.970s)
Pit Stop Laps: 21, 49
"The race was over for me at the first corner. There were several cars fighting for position but I suddenly saw another car go past me and jump over my front wing because there was no space. I couldn't see that part of my wing but I could feel there was something wrong so I came in and the team changed it. After that the car felt good but unfortunately as soon as I caught up with the field I was always stuck in traffic and couldn't do anything. When I had a clear track ahead of me later in the race I put in some quick laps and was second fastest overall but it was too late."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Started from pit lane
Race Classification: 9th (+61.457s)
Pit Stop Laps: 37
"In general I am reasonably satisfied with my performance today because I started from the pit lane and finished ninth on a track where overtaking is very difficult. We had a good strategy after what happened in qualifying yesterday but unfortunately I had some traffic in the first stint which cost me time. I only had around four laps without traffic all day but when I had a clear track I was quick. If it wasn't for the traffic I would have had a better chance at scoring points. On the last stint I was quicker than (Heikki) Kovalainen but I just couldn't get past. I pushed really hard and tried to overtake twice but I couldn't manage. But we need to qualify higher so we can fight at the front in the race and we will work on this for the next Grand Prix."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"Unfortunately we couldn't make the most of the race today, despite having the potential in the car to get a much better result. The race was decided for us in qualifying; starting from where we did made it extremely difficult to finish in the points even though the car had quite good performance, as you can see from Jarno's second-fastest race lap. Now we have to work towards the Hungarian Grand Prix, where we will fight to achieve a significantly better result. The Hungaroring is a track which could suit our cars, and we have a good record there historically, so we will do our very best to get back among the leading teams."
10th July 2009
German Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice.
In a drama-less session, (apart from Barrichello’s electrical problem which takes half an hour to fix) Hamilton is fastest again, followed by Alonso (who?). Jarno is 7th and Timo improving in 12th. Top 6: Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen.
Qualifying
It all goes wrong for Toyota as the weather plays a big part in qualifying. Timo struggles to get through to Q2, ending up P19. At the end of Q1 it begins to rain but Jarno at least goes through to Q2. Lost from Q1 along with Timo are both Toro Rossos, Fisichella and Kubica. The weather changes from rain to dry throughout Q2 and the drivers are in and out of the pitlane changing tyres accordingly. Nakajima spins on his out lap but continues and Alonso spins on his final flying lap which leaves him 12th, outqualified by team mate Piquet for the first time, which guarantees an Alonso (and Flavio!) bad mood. Jarno is on the wrong tyres at the wrong time as usual and can only make P14. Also gone with them are the Williams and Heidfeld. Naturally it dries out for Q3 and Webber takes pole from the 2 Brawns with Vettel 4th. A special mention for Sutil who takes Force India into Q3 for the first time, and ahead of the Ferraris as well, and for Kovalainen, who is one place behind his team mate Hamilton, who has all the upgrades this weekend. Top 10: Webber, Barrichello, Button, Vettel, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Sutil, Massa, Raikkonen.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing's German Grand Prix qualifying was severely hampered by the fickle Eifel weather at the Nürburgring today. Hopes were high after a solid practice showing but qualifying started with threatening clouds in the sky. With that in mind Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock started on medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres before quickly switching to the super soft variety. Jarno did enough on his second run to progress but a mistake at the chicane cost Timo time and he required a final stint on super soft tyres in the closing minutes to get through. By then the rain had started, giving him no chance to improve. Jarno was therefore the only Toyota in second qualifying, when the changing conditions caused difficulties for everyone. He left the pits on super soft tyres but a rain shower forced him to return to the pits, without recording a lap time, to switch to standard wet tyres. He set a time within the top 10 before a dry period saw all drivers scramble for the pits to
return to super soft tyres. However, the rain returned on his final flying lap to deny Jarno a place in third qualifying.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 7th, 1m 31.620s (+0.499s), 23 laps
1st Qualifying: 9th, 1m 31.760s (+0.503s), 9 laps
2nd Qualifying: 14th, 1m 42.771s (+8.316s), 8 laps
"The weather didn't help us at all today. It was very windy and cold, which generally doesn't suit our car, so unfortunately we were struggling to get the tyres up to the right temperature. We were still reasonably competitive so we got through Q1 without any great difficulty but then we had the rain. Towards the end of Q2 we were not on the right tyres at the right time so it wasn't possible to get into the top 10. Obviously it's frustrating to qualify in 14th because I am more used to fighting in the top six but we can only do our best in the race tomorrow and see what happens."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 12th, 1m 32.033s (+0.901s), 20 laps
1st Qualifying: 19th, 1m 32.423s (+1.166s), 11 laps
"That was definitely a disappointing result and it is not what I expected for my home Grand Prix. The weather was too cold for us because since Silverstone I have struggled to get the most out of the tyres over one lap; I don't know if it is only the temperatures or something else as well. It's not clear to me why we have this issue with the tyres in qualifying but we have to work on it. It is a real pity I went out in first qualifying because after that we had the rain and I usually do really well in wet conditions. Maybe we will have some rain again tomorrow and that might give me a chance to get a decent result. We will see."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We were certainly not expecting such a bad result. So far the weekend had been quite smooth with trouble-free sessions for both cars. The set-up was reasonably sorted but obviously we didn't manage the changeable conditions well in qualifying. Timo locked his rear wheels on his lap on the super soft tyres in Q1 and we were one lap too late with Jarno to switch to dry tyres in Q2. It was quite a bad result considering the high standards we have set so far this season but anything can happen in the race. We have prepared our set-up to cope with the possibility of bad weather and rain could again play a big part."
Timo Glock will appear at the Ring° Arena tonight prior to the Felix Sturm v Khoren Gevor World Championship boxing match to launch an online charity auction in aid of the United Nations World Food Programme. His German Grand Prix helmet, designed by the schoolboy winner of a Panasonic competition, and Felix Sturm's gloves from the bout will be auctioned to raise funds for hungry children around the world.
10th July 2009
German Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: The weather’s rubbish, it’s cold and wet, so the teams huddle in the garages for the first half hour with good reason. When they get going, a couple of drivers have mechanical problems already: Vettel in the Red Bull, who conks out after 10 laps, and Sutil, who only manages 7 before also stopping on track. In the end, Mark Webber is fastest, followed by Button, Massa, and Jarno in 4th place. Timo is only 19th though. Top 6: Webber, Button, Massa, Jarno, Fisichella!, Raikkonen.
Session 2: Lewis Hamilton pops to the top just in time for Mercedes home race, with a German driver just behind him….that’s Vettel. There’s a rain shower and some light drizzle during the session causing a couple of harmless spins apart from Fisichella, of course, who damages his car on the barriers. Jarno is 5th and Timo 15th. Top 6: Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Webber, Jarno, Sutil.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing made a solid start to the German Grand Prix weekend despite cold and changeable weather at the Nürburgring today. Light rain throughout the day and air temperatures ranging from just 10°C to 13°C faced Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. Nevertheless, with new aerodynamic parts to test, including a revised rear wing, both drivers made full use of the morning session to compare different set-ups whilst running with the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Further set-up work was carried out in second practice to find more improvements while comparison runs between the medium and super soft tyres were carried out successfully. This combination of tyres was last used in Bahrain, when Toyota locked out the front row in qualifying. Both drivers achieved consistent set-up improvements but that work will continue overnight and during tomorrow morning's final practice to give the team the best possible chance in qualifying.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 4th, 1m 33.795s (+0.713s), 23 laps
2nd Practice: 5th, 1m 32.511s (+0.362s), 32 laps
"Today was a standard Friday for me, although the weather affected things a bit and that could be a theme for the whole weekend. We tried the two tyre compounds and did some set-up work but there were times when the track was damp and this doesn't make comparisons any easier. Generally I am pretty happy and still quite optimistic for the weekend when you see the results at the end of each session. This is one of the home races for the team so I would be very pleased to do well for all the people who are here supporting us. We have made a promising start but there is of course still room for improvement."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 34.911s (+1.829s), 23 laps
2nd Practice: 15th, 1m 33.172s (+1.023s), 34 laps
"It's my home race so it was nice to already see quite a few fans in the grandstands and it's a good feeling to be driving in front of them. Practice was quite tricky for me today. I struggled a little in the first practice to find the perfect balance but we worked hard between the sessions to find an improvement and the second one started pretty well. I think towards the end we didn't take the best direction in terms of set-up so we have to look at the data and find a way to get it back. I'm really motivated to do well at my home race so I am pushing hard and we'll do everything we can overnight and tomorrow to be in good shape for qualifying."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"All in all it was a positive day for us. We had some new aero components which we assessed and got some useful information, while we had no technical problems on the car. The times were very tight with only a second covering the top 16 in the afternoon. It was pretty cold out there today with track temperatures more like a winter test than a Grand Prix in July but the weather is the same for everybody and we may have to get used to it for the weekend. The low track temperatures don't seem to have too much of a negative impact on us so it shouldn't be a problem. In terms of the tyres, the super soft compound seems to be working a bit better than expected for us. So for a Friday we are in a decent position but now we have to see what the weather does for the remainder of the weekend, especially on Sunday."
6th July 2009
German Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 12 July, 2pm CET
Round: 9 of 17
Venue: Nürburgring
Distance: 5.148km (60 laps)
Lap record: 1min 29.468s (2004)
History: The first German Grand Prix was held in 1926, it joined the Formula 1 World Championship calendar in 1951 and has been on the calendar ever since, with absences in 1955, 1960 and 2007. Hockenheim (31) has hosted the most German Grands Prix while AVUS (1) and Nürburgring (23) have also held the race.
Panasonic Toyota Racing makes the very short journey south of its Cologne base for the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Only around 80km separates the team's technical centre from the legendary track, which first hosted Formula 1 in 1951 and has done so 37 times, most recently as home to the European Grand Prix. Toyota has a strong record in qualifying at the Nürburgring, having qualified at least one car in the top 10 on all of its six previous visits, but only finished in the points once; Jarno Trulli's eighth place in 2005. With another set of upgrades to the TF109 for this race, the clear goal is to rectify that statistic with a strong points finish with both cars. Following another top-eight finish in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last time out, the team has scored in six of the eight races so far to leave it third in the Constructors' Championship approaching the mid-point of the season. For his home race, Timo Glock will wear a special helmet designed by a local schoolboy, the winner of a Panasonic competition in Germany.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "The Nürburgring is such a famous track in motorsport and it is fantastic to go there and see the old Nordschleife. The new track is a bit different to say the least but in its own way it is still a challenge. It is actually a track I know really well and I have had some good days there, particularly in 1999 when I finished on the podium for the first time in Formula 1. I am always optimistic and it would be great to fight for another podium 10 years on from that. We showed in qualifying at Silverstone that we are competitive, even though the race was frustrating as a result of the start, so I am hopeful for this weekend. It is an important race for the team with the factory only an hour away so that gives me even more motivation to succeed this weekend. I know we will have a lot of support so I hope I can give them the result we all want."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "This is my home track and it will be the first time I have raced a Formula 1 car there so I am really excited. Obviously the modern Nürburgring is nothing like the old Nordschleife, which is just an incredible circuit. I drove a Toyota Auris around it recently and it's so much fun but completely different from a modern Formula 1 circuit. I enjoy the modern Nürburgring and it is a track I am really familiar with after growing up in German racing. In fact, the first Formula 1 race I attended was at the Nürburgring in 2000 when I was competing in one of the support races so it will be a special feeling for me this weekend. It's surprising we are already at the halfway point of the season - it has gone so quickly. I've had some good races so far and it has been nice to be battling at the front quite often. This weekend is another chance to do that and I can't wait."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "The Nürburgring does not place any specific demand on a Formula 1 car; it requires an average aero efficiency level with average tyre severity and doesn't put any particular strain on brakes, suspension or engine. The main concern is with the weather and consequently with tyre warm-up because the track is close to the mountains and if you are unlucky you can experience cool temperatures and rain. We haven't raced at the Nürburgring since 2007 but the lay-out hasn't changed since then so our database is still valid, although obviously we have to make adjustments to take into account the aerodynamic changes and slick tyres. The British Grand Prix didn't go as well as expected but our qualifying performance was encouraging, as was Timo's pace out of traffic in the race, and we aim to be stronger this weekend."
21st June 2009
British Grand Prix – Race
Happy Birthday Jill! (Jarno started the singing at the Fan Club Party!!! Thanks to all who supported that, by the way! )
Seb Vettel wins the race from pole, seemingly in a different race from everyone else, finishing way ahead of his closest rival, his team mate Webber. Barrichello makes up the podium party. The Toyotas get off to a slow start again and Jarno has to settle for 7th and 2 points. Timo just misses out on the points in P9. But how do Brawn get Jenson past Jarno in the pitstops after the Toyota is easily keeping the Brawn behind in the first stint? And where does Massa come from to finish 4th? Well, that involves a long first stint and jumping Rosberg in the second stops. The only retirements are Bourdais and Kovalainen, following an incident where Bourdais’ Toro Rosso makes contact with the McLaren, after the McLaren team mates swap places on track and Bourdais tries to slip through as well. The clash leaves Bourdais minus a front wing and Heikki a puncture. Guess they just give up after that! Top 8: Vettel, Webber. Barrichello, Massa, Rosberg, Button, Jarno, Raikkonen.
PRESS RELEASE
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 4th
Race Classification: 7th (+68.307s)
Pit Stop Laps: 18, 46
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 8th
Race Classification: 9th (+69.823s)
Pit Stop Laps: 19, 48
Panasonic Toyota Racing left Silverstone with two points after a frustrating British Grand Prix at Silverstone today. Hopes were high for a podium challenge after an extremely competitive qualifying performance but on another chilly Silverstone afternoon they turned to disappointment when the red lights went out to signify the start of the race. Jarno Trulli started on the second row but a launch issue saw him lose ground off the line to leave him seventh at the end of the first lap. Timo Glock dropped three places to 11th on the opening lap. Jarno's first pit stop came on lap 18 and he opted for another set of soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with fast work by the pit crew moving him up to sixth. Timo made his first pit stop a lap later and followed the same tyre strategy, emerging again in 11th. With track temperatures only 30°C, the team chose a short final stint for both drivers on the hard tyres. Jarno dropped to seventh but Timo came out ninth and fighting for the final point. As Jarno brought the car home in seventh, Timo hounded the eighth-placed Kimi Raikkonen but there was no opportunity to pass.
Jarno Trulli
"It was a very hard race for me. I had a difficult start because the car didn't pull away as fast as normal, so I lost a couple of positions. I was trying to fight back all through the race but it was not easy and the car was sliding around quite a lot; maybe this was because of the aero set-up I chose yesterday. I expected the weather today to be a little warmer than it was and I was struggling a bit with my set-up, especially on long runs. Our strategy was okay but we expected more from this race so I am determined to make up for it in Germany."
Timo Glock
"It's a pity to miss out on the points, especially as I was really quick out of traffic and at the end I was able to catch Kimi (Raikkonen) quite easily. The problem was at the first corner when I lost a few positions; that left me in traffic and compromised my race. Still, I didn't give up and I was fighting with (Giancarlo) Fisichella in the middle stint when there was a chance to get in the points. On the hard tyres at the end the car felt good and I very quickly caught Kimi but I had no chance to overtake. I tried into the final corner on the last lap but it didn't work out. Now I am looking to the next Grand Prix, which is a home race for me and the team. I hope it will be a bit warmer there which would suit our car more than the low temperatures today."
John Howett - President
"We expected a better result than this but the race didn't turn out as we hoped. Qualifying was very promising and we genuinely expected to fight for the podium but Jarno lost positions at the start and Timo was squeezed going into the first corner. Two points is far less than we expected after the qualifying result but this will motivate us to develop further and come back stronger for one of our home Grands Prix at the Nurburgring.
20th June 2009
British Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice: Well, it’s about time! Nico Rosberg is fastest in the final practice… what happened to him yesterday??? And today it’s 2 Williams at the top, as Nakajima is second quickest and third is Jarno. Timo is 7th. No dramas apart from Timo cutting across the Becketts grass. Top 6: Rosberg, Nakajima, Jarno, Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen.
Qualifying: The Red Bulls are split by Barrichello’s Brawn, an interloper on the front row. Jarno is an excellent 4th and Timo is 8th on the grid. Button’s best effort leaves him only 6th. Hamilton doesn’t make it out of Q1 and Sutil’s big accident into the Abbey barriers at the very end of the session and the subsequent delay has nothing to do with it! Both Force Indias and both Toro Rossos join Lewis in elimination from Q1. The other McLaren, both BMWs, Piquet and Massa drop out from Q2. Top 10: Vettel, Barrichello, Webber, Jarno, Nakajima, Button, Rosberg, Glock, Raikkonen, Alonso.
PRESS RELEASE
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 3rd, 1m 19.125s (+0.226s), 15 laps
1st Qualifying: 4th, 1m 18.886s (+0.356), 6 laps
2nd Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 18.240s (+0.121), 7 laps
3rd Qualifying: 4th, 1m 20.091s (+0.582), 8 laps
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 7th, 1m 19.868s (+0.969s), 19 laps
1st Qualifying: 9th, 1m 19.198s (+0.668s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 10th, 1m 18.791s (+0.672), 8 laps
3rd Qualifying: 8th, 1m 20.490s (+0.981), 7 laps
Panasonic Toyota Racing continued its strong recent form in qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone today with Jarno Trulli taking a second-row starting spot as Timo Glock joined him in the top eight. The cool weather continued at Silverstone, where air temperatures could only reach 16°C and track temperatures 25°C, although the rain stayed away despite dark clouds overhead. Jarno was one of the quickest cars throughout qualifying and only needed one run on hard Bridgestone Potenza tyres to progress beyond the first session in fourth while Timo used the softer compound to also ease through. Both drivers used the soft compound for second qualifying with Jarno again in fine form before the decisive final session. Again the drivers used the softer tyre and Jarno secured his fifth top-six qualifying result of the season while Timo is in the top eight for the fourth time.
Jarno Trulli
"We had a very good run today in qualifying so I am pleased with the result and I am very happy with the car. We have made some aerodynamic upgrades for this race which have improved our performance and the gap to the fastest cars in low-fuel qualifying was quite small so this is a positive sign. The team has done a great job this weekend because from the first practice session the car felt strong and was very competitive. This has continued all through the weekend so far. Maybe my lap in Q3 could have been slightly quicker and we could have made it into the top three but in the end I think we are where we deserve to be. I have to admit I don't normally enjoy Silverstone and I haven't had much luck here so I am really happy to be at the front of the grid for what could be the last Grand Prix here for a while."
Timo Glock
"The result is pretty good and I have to be happy about being in the top eight because I was not sure it would be possible after practice yesterday. I have been struggling a bit with the car and compared to Jarno I haven't been able to achieve the same lap times. The problem for me has been getting temperature into the tyres and that has caused me to struggle for grip at times. I've not been completely happy all weekend but the result today looks decent so I hope I can score points tomorrow."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"All in all today's practice and qualifying went well and we have a good chance for the race tomorrow. We are not on the front row but we are in a strong position. It is also satisfying to see we are much closer to the fastest cars than we expected after yesterday's practice. So we are very much looking forward to the race because we believe we have a very strong strategy and genuine reason for optimism. The tyre situation at this race is a bit more standard in terms of one-lap pace and degradation so we should not see too many different strategies in the race. Also I have to say we are happy with the updates we have brought here and I would like to thank the people at the factory back in Cologne for all the hard work done to achieve this."
19th June 2009
British Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: The Red Bulls show the way to go as Vettel leads Webber at the top in the first session, followed by the Brawns. McLaren are so desperate they have aerodynamic analysis paint on their cars to try and work out where they are going wrong. Jarno is 7th and Timo 16th. Piquet spins at Copse, Timo at Club and Jarno has an off track moment at Becketts, on the only day we aren’t there to see it! Top 6: Vettel, Webber, Button, Barrichello, Alonso, Massa.
Session 2: The top two are the same in this session, with Sutil third. How did that happen? Then he blots his copy book by clipping his team mate’s front wing….outside the team garage! Webber ends up in the Stowe run off after clattering the kerbs and damaging the car at Becketts. BMW do a quickie engine change on Kubica’s car after an oil pressure problem. Jarno is 8th and Timo 13th. Top 6: Vettel, Webber, Sutil, Nakajima, Alonso, Barrichello.
PRESS RELEASE
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 7th, 1m 20.585s (+1.185s), 32 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 20.458s (+1.002s), 40 laps
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 16th, 1m 21.386s (+1.986s), 32 laps
2nd Practice: 13th, 1m 20.762s (+1.306s), 37 laps
Panasonic Toyota Racing made a promising start to practice for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on a windy, cloudy day at the birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship. In contrast to the last race in Turkey, track temperatures were a moderate 34°C while the air temperature was a relatively chilly 17°C. With revisions to the TF109 to test before the decisive business of qualifying and the race, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were kept busy comparing different set-ups in the morning. In the afternoon the focus switched to the hard and soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, last used together just two weeks ago in the Turkish Grand Prix. In Istanbul the difference between the two compounds, especially in qualifying, was not as great as anticipated but with lower track temperatures today, tyre behaviour needed re-evaluating. Both drivers completed more than a race distance over the two sessions leaving the team in good shape for the rest of the weekend.
Jarno Trulli
"I had a trouble-free couple of sessions working through the usual programme of evaluating the different tyre compounds and looking at various set-ups. The car feels pretty good but as usual here at Silverstone it was very windy. This makes it quite difficult to set-up the car and it's not ideal when it comes to evaluating different set-ups because the conditions change from lap to lap. But we had no other issues and we just need to improve the outright performance a little bit for tomorrow in order to be closer to the top. I am still optimistic."
Timo Glock
"It has been a reasonable start for us on the whole. We did quite a few laps and looked at various different set-ups. We had no serious problems but of course there are areas we need to work on before qualifying to get the maximum out of our package. The balance is not ideal at the moment but we have the chance to improve that tomorrow morning. If you look at what happened in Turkey, where we made a big step forward on Saturday morning, then we can be pretty hopeful for this race."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a positive day for us. We have got some new aerodynamic components on the car which we successfully tested. Everything looks fine, we had no technical problems so we went smoothly through our programme which is always a good way to start the weekend. In terms of tyres, these are the same compounds we had in Turkey. We don't seem to have a major worry with them for the rest of the weekend and that is good news because sometimes this year there have been occasions when it was a bit of a challenge. So now we are looking to build on this positive Friday over the rest of the weekend."
15th June 2009
British Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 21 June, 2pm CET
Round: 8 of 17
Venue: Silverstone Circuit
Distance: 5.141km (60 laps)
Lap record: 1min 18.739s (2004)
History: The very first World Championship Grand Prix was held at Silverstone in 1950 and the British Grand Prix has been held annually ever since. Aintree (5), Brands Hatch (12) and Silverstone (42) have hosted the race and Donington Park is scheduled for 2010 onwards.
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads across the Channel this weekend for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship. Silverstone hosted the first World Championship Grand Prix in 1950 and also has a place in Toyota's Formula 1 history as the track where the team first led a race, in 2003. Last season's British Grand Prix was disrupted by rain but Jarno Trulli showed great determination and car control to take seventh place while Timo Glock was 12th. This year the team arrives in Great Britain with great confidence after a strong result in the Turkish Grand Prix enhanced its third place in the Constructors' Championship. As a high-speed circuit, Silverstone is expected to suit the TF109's considerable strengths so Jarno and Timo aim to fight for a podium return.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "It was very satisfying to get back on track with our strong result in Turkey. I believe we belong at the front of the grid this year and it was important to bounce back and show how competitive we really are. The team has pushed hard with development and we must continue to do this to close the gap on the cars in front of us. I expect our car should go well at Silverstone as we have been very competitive on circuits with similar characteristics, so I am fired up to fight at the front again. Silverstone is a special place to race because of the passionate fans and the history surrounding the track. Personally I am not a huge fan of Silverstone and it hasn't always been kind to me, although I was one of the fastest cars last year in the wet. But it is an important circuit to Formula 1 and it will be a loss. If this is the last Grand Prix at Silverstone for a while, I hope I can leave there with some happy memories."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "I am looking forward to the British Grand Prix and I think we have a great chance at Silverstone. It's an enjoyable place to race because the fans are so enthusiastic about Formula 1 and it's a really exciting lay-out. So it is a pity the Grand Prix is leaving Silverstone but then again new venues can be exciting too. The main feature of Silverstone is speed because there are some fantastic fast corners which are really good fun for a driver. This year I am particularly looking forward to this race because our car should be strong at this type of track. We were really competitive in Turkey with some new parts on the car and we expect to build on that this weekend. It was unfortunate my qualifying didn't go as planned in Istanbul because I could have been up with Jarno in the top six but I am really motivated to make sure everything goes to plan this weekend. The front of the grid is pretty close at the moment so if we get the maximum from our package then we
can be battling with the fastest cars."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "We expect to be strong at the British Grand Prix because the lay-out should suit our package. So far this season we have been extremely competitive at tracks which require high aero efficiency so we have high hopes for Silverstone. With the exception of Monaco we have been strong at all tracks and Turkey was a return to form for us. Even though we are in the top three in terms of performance we are still missing a little in order to be systematically contending to win. That is our target and we are working hard to close the gap. We expect to build on our Turkish performance and deliver a genuinely competitive car this weekend."
8th June 2009
Turkish Grand Prix – Race
Well, it was a much better result for Toyota today, although it couldn’t get much worse than Monaco! Jarno finished 4th and Timo 8th, so both in the points again. Jenson Button won again, after taking the lead from Vettel who made a mistake at turn 9/10 on the first lap. Red Bull subsequently changed Vettel’s strategy to try to compensate but he ended up losing out on second place as well to team mate Webber. Barrichello struggled to get off the line, scrunching his gear box in the process, then he had a crazy time trying to catch up from way down the field, tangling with Kovalainen then losing part of his front wing on Sutil’s car. Finally, the losing parts in the gear box gave up on 7th gear completely and finally crunched into retirement. The only other retiree was Fisichella, who had hydraulic issues and retired on lap 5. Jarno had a great start and got past Webber, although he took the place back later in the first lap, and Jarno did lose 4th place temporarily to Rosberg in the first stops but got it back later in the second stops. Timo also had a good start and although being forced wide at the first corner, his one stop strategy worked out for a point in 8th place. McLaren were down in the doldrums again, in 13th and 14th place. Ferrari did a bit better with Massa taking 6th but Raikkonen, who damaged his front wing slightly on Alonso’s Renault on lap 1, was back in 9th. Top 8: Button, Webber, Vettel, Trulli, Rosberg, Massa, Kubica, Glock.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing delivered a determined performance to score points with both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock in the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park today, strengthening its third place in the Constructors' Championship. Jarno claimed his fourth top-four finish of the season while Timo made up six places with a fighting drive to score points for the fifth time this year. Both drivers started on the hard Bridgestone Potenza tyres and in the run to the first corner Jarno moved up to third as Timo was pushed wide and lost ground. At the end of lap one Jarno was fourth and Timo 14th. At his first pit stop Jarno continued on the hard tyres while Timo's longer opening stint saw him run as high as fifth before pitting for another set of hard rubber. Jarno was in a tight battle for fourth place and a series of fast laps gave him the upper hand, so when he changed to the soft tyres for a short final stint he had the position. Timo was also charging hard and his speed in the middle stint lifted him to eighth. He was even quicker on soft tyres in the closing laps but narrowly missed out on seventh.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 5th
Race Classification: 4th (+27.843s)
Pit Stop Laps: 16, 43
"I am pleased with the race result and also with the car. We have worked really hard to find more performance and it's great to be back in the fight for a podium. The team deserve a lot of credit for the improvement this weekend, including the engineers who have made a good step with our starts. My start was incredible and I made up two places into the first corner, however I struggled a lot on the first lap with locking brakes so I dropped back to fourth. After that I got into a good rhythm and I was fighting hard with Nico Rosberg. He got ahead at the first pit stops but I bounced back and overtook at the second stops. I was really competitive towards the end when there was a lot of rubber down and it was enjoyable to be fighting at the front. I started the weekend with a positive feeling and we quickly found the right set-up so I am extremely happy to be back to a competitive level."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 13th
Race Classification: 8th (+46.959)
Pit Stop Laps: 30, 47
"It was not easy to score points from 13th on the grid. At the start I was a bit unlucky; I got a good launch but I got caught at the exit of turn one and another car pushed me to the outside. I lost some positions so maybe the result could have been even better. But in the end I am happy to score a point because the car was spot on, really quick with race fuel. It's tricky to make up positions in Formula 1 but our strategy was right, the pit stops were great and the set-up worked really well so thanks to the team for a good job. Our target before the race was to get into the points so I am pleased to achieve that and I expect even more at the next race."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"It is very satisfying to have both drivers finish in the points here. We are back fighting at the front of the grid and that is where we want to be at every race. This was the best result we could achieve after qualifying which is a credit to the good work done by the team. However, we obviously want to be back on the podium so even though we showed very clear improvement, we will continue to push as hard as possible to find more performance. There is still a gap between us and the other top teams so we want to close that for the next race. I am optimistic for the British Grand Prix; we believe the Silverstone track should suit our car because it plays to our strengths therefore we want an even better result there."
7th June 2009
Drivers support FOTA in F1 future row
Grand Prix drivers pledged their support for the stance adopted by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) following talks to discuss the current row in Istanbul on Sunday morning.
Drivers and team principals from the eight current members of FOTA held a 25-minute get-together in the Toyota motorhome to discuss the current situation ahead of a crunch week to decide the future of the sport.
The discussions came after the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) aired its concerns about the impact the situation was having on its members' careers - and the fact that the racers were having no say in what was going on.
Speaking after the Sunday morning meeting ended, Jarno Trulli said: "All the drivers have the same feeling: to follow FOTA and respect above all the work they are doing on the coming rules and the running of Formula 1 in a serious way for the future. We were called today to be kept informed because of the rules not being clear and, being one of the few things that we have read, do not work and needed to be talked about from our part for reasons of safety. (Concerning) these rules, which we do not in any case consider are adequate, we share the same vision as FOTA."
Trulli said the drivers joined their teams in believing future rules plans were not good for the sport – with the FIA set to announce on Friday which teams have been accepted for next year's championship.
"Mosley must understand that there are some things that cannot happen. The rules for 2010 are absolutely not good because Formula 1 must remain the number one sport in the world, with great technology and with the manufacturers. You can't try and bring in other teams that maybe have never had any idea about what it takes to compete with the cars and in a championship of such a high level. Above all, with the rules we are completely out.”
When asked if he felt the situation was now heading for a breakaway, Trulli said: "At the moment we have to wait and see, because FOTA want to reach a solution together with the federation. However all of us drivers I think understand very well which is the right side to be on. I know that in the next week something should budge, it must move. Otherwise there will inevitably then be a split."
6th June 2009
Turkish Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice
Hmmm…. a Ferrari is fastest and it’s Massa. But Jarno and Timo are second and third and seem to be making the soft tyre work, which some of the others aren’t doing. It’s a very close session time-wise. Top 6: Massa, Jarno, Timo, Nakajima, Kubica, Barrichello.
Qualifying
Hmmmm…. it had looked slightly better than that, but Jarno ends up 5th, which is anyway better than Timo in 13th. Right at the last, Vettel annoyingly comes through to take pole, followed by the two Brawns. The other Red Bull, Webber is in 4th place. Down at the bottom is Bourdais, and his team mate Buemi also drops out in Q1. The other unfortunates are Fisichella and poor Nelson Piquet who spins out into the turn 3 gravel citing brake problems. Also Lewis Hamilton’s luck has deserted him and he also has to settle for P16. His team mate Kovalainen is eliminated in Q2 along with Timo, Sutil, Nakajima and Heidfeld. Top 10: Vettel, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Jarno, Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Kubica.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing will start the Turkish Grand Prix with high expectations for a strong result after qualifying at Istanbul Park today. Under clear skies, with track temperatures hitting 46°C and air temperatures 29°C, Jarno Trulli secured his fourth top-six grid spot of the season while Timo Glock missed the top 10 by a small margin. There was little to choose between the soft and hard Bridgestone Potenza tyres over one lap of Istanbul Park and in first qualifying the Toyota drivers set their fastest times on different rubber, with Jarno on hard and Timo on soft tyres. In the second session both set their fastest laps on the soft option but recorded differing results. Jarno eased through as second quickest while Timo lost a fraction of a second in the final sector and ended up 13th. That left just Jarno's TF109 in the final session and he was immediately competitive on hard tyres before setting his fastest lap on the softer rubber in the final seconds, claiming fifth place
in the process.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 2nd, 1m 28.022s (+0.039s), 21 laps
1st Qualifying: 7th, 1m 27.529s (+0.199s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 27.195s (+0.179s), 7 laps
3rd Qualifying: 5th, 1m 28.666s (+0.350s), 7 laps
"I am happy with this good result, especially after the difficult time we had during the last race weekend. We have made big improvements and it is nice to be back at the front where we belong. The tyre situation was a little tricky today because I was very quick on the hard tyre while I didn't feel I got the most out of the soft option. We need to analyse that to give us the best possible chance tomorrow I'm fired up and looking forward to the race. We were not far off pole position which is very encouraging and gives us high expectations for the race tomorrow. Obviously it is a long race and it's difficult to predict what will happen, but I will be fighting to finish on the podium."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 3rd, 1m 28.094s (+0.111s), 23 laps
1st Qualifying: 13th, 1m 28.160s (+0.830s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 13th 1m 27.795s (+0.779s), 8 laps
"That was not an easy session for me and it is disappointing to be out of the top 10. This morning we were quick and the set-up felt really good, so I was happy with the car going into qualifying. But when we put the option tyres on with a light fuel load the car had some oversteer and it didn't feel exactly like it did in the morning. We were still competitive and expecting to get into the top 10 but on my final lap of Q2 I made a mistake in the last sector and that was it; I lost time and didn't qualify where I expected. But it's easier to overtake here than in Monaco so I won't give up on the race."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We are clearly having a better weekend than we did in Monaco which is a credit to the huge team effort to understand our issues from that weekend and bring new parts here. Nevertheless, we cannot be completely satisfied with this qualifying result. We missed out on getting both cars in the top 10 which is a pity, especially as we had very high hopes for that before qualifying. Unfortunately Timo made a mistake in the last sector when he was on for a competitive lap time, which explains his grid position. Jarno performed very well throughout and it is pleasing to be back at the right end of the grid. Naturally we want to fight for the podium here so we aimed a little higher than fifth, but it didn't happen so now we are looking to maximise our chances in the race. The tyre situation here is extremely interesting and quite unusual, with the hard and soft tyres offering very similar grip characteristics. This makes tyre choice more of a challenge and we are likely to see some different strategies in the race."
5th June 2009
Turkish Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Session 1: It’s Friday, so it must be Rosberg who’s quickest…. And so he is! In the first session anyway! Nico is followed by Hamilton, with Jarno third. Timo is 13th. The dusty track takes a while to settle so nobody goes out for the first 30 minutes. Makes no sense. The session is stopped for a while as some Astroturf is repaired on the exit of turn 1, having been mowed by Massa’s Ferrari. Top 6: Rosberg, Hamilton, Trulli, Vettel, Massa, Nakajima.
Session 2: Wow, Rosberg is only 7th! Kovalainen is in fact quickest this time, with Alonso and Kubica next. Jarno is 6th and Timo 14th. Nakajima and Fisichella have a small incident at the final chicane when they don’t appear to give each other room. Fisi again. Top 6: Kovalainen, Alonso, Kubica, Nakajima, Vettel, Trulli.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing started the Turkish Grand Prix weekend with two promising 90-minute practice sessions at the 5.338km Istanbul Park today. Thursday's rain gave way to blue skies and sunshine, with track temperatures hitting 48°C and air temperatures 28°C for the first track action of the weekend. The rarely-used Istanbul Park was dusty as expected in the morning but lap times improved as more rubber was put down during the course of the day. With a modified front wing and other aerodynamic changes to evaluate, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock had plenty of work to do in addition to the standard set-up procedures. The soft and hard Bridgestone Potenza tyres, which were last used in Barcelona, are available this weekend so comparing their behaviour also kept the drivers busy in the afternoon. Neither driver suffered any mechanical troubles so the team completed its entire programme as planned, recording positive results.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 3rd, 1m 29.271s (+0.319s), 26 laps
2nd Practice: 6th, 1m 29.207s (+0.366s), 41 laps
"We mainly concentrated on set-up work and tyre evaluation as usual on a Friday. The track was pretty dusty, especially in the morning, so we felt a little lack of grip but that was expected here and it should improve tomorrow. The new aero bits are working well and they look like a good step which bodes well for the rest of the weekend. My lap times were competitive and the long runs went well so we will see what we can do for tomorrow. I am pleased with how things went today so we should be competitive."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 13th, 1m 29.934s (+0.982s), 26 laps
2nd Practice: 14th, 1m 29.518s (+0.677s), 40 laps
"It was a normal Friday practice for me with a programme of long runs and also various set-up comparisons. It was a bit tricky because I didn't feel the balance of the car was exactly where I wanted it to be, especially on the soft tyres, but we will work to improve that in time for qualifying. The lap times were really close in the afternoon session and I know I had the potential to be quicker. We are stronger than we were in Monaco, which is what we expected as that track is a one-off, so we want to demonstrate that in qualifying."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a very productive day for us. We had some aero updates on the car which we used successfully and we clearly looked better than we did in Monaco, as we anticipated here. As usual in Turkey on Friday you have a very big circuit evolution and we saw that in the morning. In the afternoon, between third and 16th places all cars were within half a second and that means that only a difference of 10kg of fuel would completely mix up the pecking order. So it is difficult to draw conclusions yet but we are definitely on a different level of performance compared to Monaco so we can be optimistic for the weekend."
2nd June 2009
Turkish Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 7 June, 2pm CET
Round: 7 of 17
Venue: Istanbul Park
Distance: 5.338km (58 laps)
Lap record: 1min 24.770s (2005)
History: The Turkish Grand Prix has been held four times since its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 2005, all of these races being at Istanbul Park.
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads beyond the eastern boundary of Europe this weekend for the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park on the outskirts of the historic city. The modern 14-turn circuit, located on the Asian side of Istanbul, includes the triple-apex Turn 8, which challenges car and tyres alike. This weekend the team will be using the same soft and hard compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres as in Malaysia, although this combination has yet to be raced this season due to the Sunday rain in Sepang. After a thoroughly disappointing Monaco Grand Prix saw neither driver score points, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock fully expect a return to form this weekend. The team has competed in every Turkish Grand Prix so far, finishing in the points on two of the four occasions, and another healthy points haul is targeted to reinforce its third place in the Constructors' Championship.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I am hopeful of a strong result this weekend. Monaco was difficult for everyone in the team but that is in the past now and we are looking forward to the next race. Monaco is basically a one-off circuit for Formula 1 and the Istanbul track is very different so I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend. We are third in the Constructors' Championship which shows that overall we are in good shape this year and it is important we return to the performance level we had in the first four races. Istanbul is not one of my favourite circuits and I have not had much luck there in the past; but I am determined to change that. Turn 8 is the most challenging part of the track and it's important to get your set-up right for this as you need a balanced car to be really quick. I can't wait to start practice and find out where we are because I am fired up to bounce back this weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "I am going to Turkey with a huge amount of determination because Monaco was not the kind of weekend we expect and we are all looking forward to getting back to where we belong. Everyone at the team is really passionate about racing and about succeeding so the Monaco weekend hurt us but also gave us even more motivation to improve. I have spent some time at the factory since then to do what I can to help and I can see everyone there is giving everything for the team to succeed. Clearly we want to get back in the points this weekend but really our goals are higher than that and we ultimately want to be fighting for the podium. It's a very close fight at the moment so it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen but certainly we expect a big improvement and I am looking forward to battling at the right end of the grid in Turkey."
John Howett, President: "Clearly we want - and expect - to deliver a significantly better performance in Turkey than we did in Monaco, which was unacceptable to us. We saw in Spain and Monaco that we were not good enough on slow-speed sectors and we have worked tirelessly to understand the reason for this. It tends to be influenced by traction and this was magnified by Monaco. We have conducted a straight-line aero test and that will give us the information we need to rapidly develop a solution. Turkey is a very different circuit to Monaco and I am very optimistic we will be strong."
Today, Tomorrow, Toyota This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. For the European races, including Turkey, 'Today, Tomorrow, Toyota' is inspired by Toyota in Europe.
24th May 2009
Monaco Grand Prix – Race
It was never going to be good for Toyota who ended up 10th (Timo, who started from the pitlane on a one stop strategy) and 13th for Jarno, whose two stop strategy didn’t work out as well! Jenson Button won the race from pole, followed by his team mate, and unusually for this year, Raikkonen, whose Ferrari found a track it liked! No points for McLaren, with Hamilton finishing 12th and Kovalainen finishing in the Swimming Pool barriers on lap 52. Other non- finishers were Piquet and Buemi, in an incident where the Toro Rosso tripped over the Renault. Vettel had an argument with the Ste Devote barriers, ending his race. And Kubica retired on lap 31. Nakajima almost finished in the top ten but slid into the Mirabeau barrier with one lap to go. Top 8: Button, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Massa, Webber, Rosberg, Alonso, Bourdais.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing left the Monaco Grand Prix empty-handed despite a valiant effort from Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. Following yesterday's disappointing qualifying session, the team fully expected a challenging race and prepared accordingly. Timo started the race from the pit lane after modifications to the set-up of his TF109 and both began on very heavy fuel loads, using the soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres. They battled hard, however overtaking on the tight Monaco streets is extremely difficult and this restricted progress. By the time of Jarno's first pit stop - for another set of soft tyres - he was 12th while Timo had easily the longest first stint of all and had reached 11th place when he came in for super soft tyres. Jarno needed a second stop for a final stint on super soft tyres, which allowed Timo to get ahead. Timo battled past Nick Heidfeld in the final laps and crossed the finish line inside the top 10 while Jarno was 13th.
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: Started from pit lane
Race Classification: 10th (+1 lap)
Pit Stop Laps: 57
"I have to say that finishing in the top 10 was a bit more than I expected at the start of the race considering how the weekend had gone up to then. We had good pace in the last stint but when you start from the pit lane in Monaco you cannot expect to score points. This weekend started badly and from then on we were playing catch up. At Monaco you want to start the weekend on a good basis and then adjust the car to the track as it evolves, but we had problems from the first practice. I am looking forward to Turkey and I hope we can improve significantly."
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 18th
Race Classification: 13th (+1 lap)
Pit Stop Laps: 49, 65
"It was a tough race for me, as we anticipated after the qualifying result. It was always going to be very difficult from where we were on the grid and my strategy didn't work out. I seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the traffic, which is obviously a real problem at this track. Whenever I was putting in a few good laps I had to slow down again because slower cars were in front and it is impossible to overtake. Now this difficult weekend is over we have to forget about it and focus on the next race when I am sure we will be much more competitive."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"Even though it has been a difficult weekend for us, and a disappointing race, the team and both drivers pushed as hard as possible and did a professional job. They never gave up even after such a frustrating qualifying result and that is a credit to them. We obviously have to look very carefully at what went wrong this weekend when we get back to Cologne. Everyone in the factory has worked really hard this season so I am sure we will be back where we belong in Turkey. We remain third in the Constructors' Championship so we must continue to fight hard and think positively."
23rd May 2009
Monaco Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice
Where did he come from…..Alonso tops the final practice session. He beats Button and Kovalainen in the top 3. Lewis leads for a long time then damages his car’s front wing against the wall. Fisichella spins at Nouvelle Chicane, but there are no serious incidents. The Toyotas scramble for bottom place and Jarno wins that battle, with Timo 17th. Top 6: Alonso, Button, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Massa, Raikkonen.
Qualifying
Another disastrous session for Toyota and maybe their worst qualifying ever, at least in Jarno’s time, (except when penalised) as they share the back row. Jarno complains Alonso blocked his flying lap and so it looks but would he have made it out of Q1? We shall never know. Lewis Hamilton cocked up the most, hitting the wall at Mirabeau and breaking his car’s rear suspension. Wonder who he’ll blame for that? But even he is 16th. The other unfortunates stuck in Q1 are the two BMWs. The Force Indias can’t go any further than Q2, joined in elimination by the Toro Rossos and Piquet. After being nowhere early on in Q3, Button jumps to the front and takes pole. It really is his season, isn’t it? He is joined on the front row by a Ferrari. Yes, a Ferrari, in the form of Raikkonen, no less. The other Brawn, birthday boy the 37 year old Barrichello, has to settle for 3rd. Wonder who he’ll blame for that? Top 10: Button, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Webber, Alonso, Nakajima. Toyota await the stewards ruling on the blocking incident.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered a desperately disappointing qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix today. After a tough opening day of practice on Thursday, the team used the traditional 'day off' on Friday to study data and improve the set-up of the TF109s for Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. However, the twisty Monaco streets proved to be not suited to the TF109 and, with traffic a factor, the qualifying result fell hugely short of expectations. Both drivers completed three runs during Q1, setting their fastest times on the super soft Bridgestone tyres.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 19th, 1m 16.810s (+1.646s), 26 laps
1st Qualifying: 19th, 1m 16.548s (+1.338s), 11 laps
"It is extremely disappointing but especially because I was on a pretty good lap at the end of Q1 when I was blocked by another car in the final two corners. That would have been my quickest lap and I would have been easily in Q2. So I am angry about that but ultimately we haven't shown good enough performance this weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 17th, 1m 16.527s (+1.363s), 29 laps
1st Qualifying: 20th, 1m 16.788s (+1.578s), 12 laps
"We have to analyse and see where the problems are. We struggled from the first lap this weekend. The car didn't feel great but it didn't feel terrible, it was just that the pace clearly wasn't there. I pushed as hard as possible but it wasn't enough. Obviously I will do my best in the race tomorrow but from this position on the grid we don't have much hope."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"It has been a very difficult weekend, obviously. There is clearly something wrong on the car which we are looking at; we have to fix this. The race will be difficult from where we start but still we will keep on fighting."
FOR A Q&A WITH A VERY MISERABLE JARNO VISIT THE MEMBERS PAGE OR http://www.autosport.com/
21st May 2009
Monaco Grand Prix – Thursday Practice
First session: Some action in the first ten minutes at last, as the teams need to get as much set up time as possible. The biggest incident is Vettel’s engine failure, which is unusual these days and especially at this track where engines are not too stressed. Apart from that, there are the usual running wides at Ste Devote, notably both McLarens and Button. Barrichello is fastest, followed by Massa and Hamilton. Where is Toyota? 19th and 20th (JT). Best not mentioned. Top 6: Barrichello, Massa, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Nakajima.
Second session: Back to normal, as Rosberg is quickest, Hamilton and Barrichello following. There is another engine failure… Kubica, on his first flying lap, and that’s the end of his session. Massa, Vettel, Bourdais and Sutil all visit the Ste Devote escape road this time. Toyota improves a little…. Jarno is 14th and Timo 18th. Top 6: Rosberg, Hamilton, Barrichello, Button, Massa, Vettel.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing made an early start to practice for the sixth round of the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship on the streets of Monte Carlo today. According to tradition, practice for the Monaco Grand Prix takes place on Thursday so Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock took to the streets on a warm and sunny day to get their first taste of the TF109 on the twisty 3.340km track. Toyota worked on getting the maximum possible downforce from the TF109 as well as fine-tuning mechanical set-up. In the afternoon session, as track temperatures hit 44°C and air temperatures 26°C, the team switched its focus to the soft and super soft compound Bridgestone tyres. Jarno and Timo both completed busy and trouble-free sessions of evaluation. They will next hit the track for third practice on Saturday morning.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 20th, 1m 19.831s (+2.642s), 28 laps
2nd Practice: 14th, 1m 16.915s (+1.672s), 43 laps
"We did our normal work of setting up the car and trying to find a good balance. Of course the track surface was dirty this morning and that meant there wasn't much grip. In second practice I had some problems with the tyres and with degradation so we must look into that and work out a solution. We have plenty of work to do but here in Monaco we have an extra day to study the data and improve the set-up. We certainly won't be having a day off tomorrow."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 19th, 1m 19.698s (+2.509s), 24 laps
2nd Practice: 18th, 1m 17.207s (+1.964s), 45 laps
"That was not an easy day for me. We tried out several mechanical and aerodynamic set-ups in the morning and then in the afternoon we spent more time looking at the tyres. It's hard to say where we are at the moment. Overall, in terms of lap times it was not great but it's always tough to judge after practice. We need to work on getting better traction and getting the best out of the tyres, which was a bit of a challenge in the afternoon. It's tricky but we have a lot of information to look at and we'll make improvements before qualifying."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"We had a busy day today, doing a lot of laps without major technical problems on the cars. We spent first practice mainly on set-up and assessing some new items we have for this race and in the second session we worked mainly on tyres. We seem to be struggling a bit with long-run consistency so that is something we have to look into. I am not too worried about the time sheets because we set our fastest lap times on the option tyres very early in the second session and we know there is significant circuit evolution here in Monaco. We will now analyse our data, not only tonight but also tomorrow, and come up with the best package we can for Saturday and Sunday."
19th May 2009
Monaco Grand Prix Preview Q+A - Jarno Trulli
Are you a fan of Monaco?
I am a big fan of Monaco and it is one of my favourite circuits, along with Spa-Francorchamps. It's a great circuit and a great challenge. There is really nothing like it and the driver probably makes more difference around Monaco than on any other track which always suits me. The atmosphere as well at Monaco is special because we are racing in the city so the fans are really close and you can feel the excitement. It is very enjoyable, although I must say I don't get many chances to experience the glamour of Monaco because it is a race weekend after all so there is lots of work to do.
What makes Monaco such a challenge?
The barriers are so close in Monaco you have absolutely no room for even the smallest error. At other tracks you can maybe run a little wide and not suffer, but in Monaco if you do that you are in the barriers so you need total concentration. Also, even though it is the slowest track we race on, it feels like one of the fastest because the barriers fly past you so quickly. You have to be completely focused to do a perfect lap and in the race it's quite challenging to stay so concentrated for the full distance, all the time knowing the smallest error will finish your race. I love this challenge and it really motivates me.
What do you need from the car to be successful in Monaco?
It is particularly important at this track to have a good feeling from the car so you feel confident it will respond exactly as you expect and there will be no surprises. With the barriers so nearby, there is no margin for error so you need a consistent and stable car, otherwise it is very difficult to push to the limit. I have a good feeling from our car this season so that shouldn't be a problem.
How about qualifying, is that more important in Monaco than anywhere else?
Qualifying is important at every track but Monaco, like Hungary, is a track where you simply must qualify at the front if you are to have a successful race. It is a true street circuit so it is far too narrow to attempt any real overtaking manoeuvres unless the car in front is a huge amount slower. This means track position is everything, which makes qualifying really important. But it's not just qualifying at the front that's important; you have to at least keep your position into the first corner otherwise all your effort in qualifying has been thrown away.
Can you explain what it's like to win the Monaco Grand Prix?
It's an amazing feeling and I have some wonderful memories of my victory there in 2004. To win from pole position in one of the toughest races in the world is a highlight of my career and I'll always remember that weekend with happiness. Of course, as a driver you want to win every race but Monaco more so than anywhere else.
Do you have a day off on Friday?
Friday at Monaco is certainly quieter than Friday at any other race but there are still things I need to do. There are a few PR things on my schedule and I will go to the track to discuss Thursday practice data with my engineers, but compared with a normal race weekend it's more relaxed, with a little free time to myself.
What are your predictions for this weekend?
It's always impossible to predict what will happen in Monaco. At this track anything is possible and you never know what will happen; that is why it's such a great event. It can be a very chaotic race and for sure it is not a normal race weekend. So far, Toyota has been competitive this season so we want to fight for the podium again, but you never know what to expect in Monaco.
18th May 2009
Monaco Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday 24 May, 2pm CET
Round: 6 of 17
Venue: Monaco, Monte Carlo Distance: 3.340km (78 laps) Lap record: 1min 14.439 (2004)
History: The Monaco Grand Prix was first run in 1929 and hosted the Formula 1 World Championship in its inaugural 1950 season. It returned to the calendar in 1955 and has remained a fixture ever since.
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to the most glamorous and famous destination in Formula 1 for the Monaco Grand Prix on the twisty, barrier-lined streets of the Principality. The Monaco track is comfortably the shortest on the Formula 1 calendar but is nevertheless one of the toughest, with almost 4,000 gear changes during a race as the 18 corners arrive in quick succession. Jarno Trulli knows these streets better than most as the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix winner while Timo Glock has finished on the podium in the Principality in GP2. Last year's trip to Monaco was a disappointment for Toyota, with rain on race day leaving both cars outside the top 10 despite promising qualifying performances. The TF109s will be tuned for maximum downforce and the team is highly motivated to bounce back with a strong performance in Monaco after a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix saw Timo finish 10th and Jarno retire after a first-lap accident.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "Monaco is one of my favourite tracks in Formula 1; it is so challenging and the driver can really make a difference so this suits me well. It is always special to go to Monaco because the atmosphere is different to any other race and the circuit is unique. I know it's slow in terms of average speed but when you are driving it feels really fast as the barriers are so close. This means you have to be completely concentrated otherwise a small mistake can put you in the wall. I love the challenge of Monaco and I am usually really strong there, even if sometimes I've had a bit of bad luck and not had the results I deserved. Our car has been competitive all year but you can't compare Monaco to other circuits so you can never be sure what to expect. Obviously the race in Spain was one to forget but anyway I prefer to look forwards not back so I'm ready to fight hard again this weekend. I'm hoping for a strong result."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Last year Monaco was a tricky race for us because of the changing weather but in general I really enjoy racing at street circuits, and this one in particular. I've had some strong performances in GP2 at Monaco and I know you have to be completely focused because it is so easy to make a mistake and ruin your race. It will be important to qualify well, as it always is in Monaco, because it's virtually impossible to overtake in the race unless the guy in front of you has a problem. Unfortunately the Spanish Grand Prix didn't go according to plan due to the problems on the first lap and it was very frustrating to miss the points for the first time this season. It will be interesting to experience how this season's car feels around Monaco because we have less downforce but more grip from the slick tyres. Generally our car has felt pretty good this season so there's no reason why we can't be competitive in Monaco."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "This year's Monaco Grand Prix is quite unusual because we don't have a fully dedicated aerodynamic package for this race, unlike previous seasons. In the past we have made major changes to the wings as well as adding flaps and winglets where possible to generate extra downforce. But this year things are a little bit different because the regulations have restricted what we can do to generate downforce, meaning we have quite a bit less this season. Therefore we have been chasing downforce at almost all tracks so Monaco is no longer unique in requiring us to do this. We will bring a few updates, as we aim to do at most races. We know the TF109 is fundamentally a very competitive car so we are looking forward to a strong weekend."
15th May 2009
Jarno makes L'Aquila visit to support earthquake victims
Toyota Press Release
Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Jarno Trulli made an emotional visit to the Abruzzo region on Italy this week as part of his efforts to help those affected by last month's earthquake there.
As a native of the Abruzzo region, having been born and raised in Pescara, Jarno is raising money for the victims of the April 6 earthquake through his 'Abruzzo nel Cuore' (Abruzzo in the Heart) appeal.
On Wednesday Jarno paid a personal visit to Abruzzo, visiting first the small village of Onna, which lost 39 out of its 250 inhabitants when the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck, where he met survivors who are now camping in tents alongside the ruins of their homes.
From there he moved on to the city of L'Aquila, which once boasted 99 churches and has a special significance in Roman Catholic history. Jarno visited a tented camp for 270 people - including 70 children - made homeless by the disaster and handed out Formula 1 souvenirs, signed autographs and posed for photos with the children.
Jarno said: "I was shocked to see the devastation firsthand; so many buildings have been destroyed and the effect on the people's lives is really terrible. I am doing my best to help in any way I can and everyone in Formula 1 has been very supportive. Hopefully we can raise a lot of money to help with reconstruction so the people of Abruzzo can return to a normal situation soon. They are in our hearts."
The 'Abruzzo nel Cuore' appeal has already raised more than Euro23,000 while several items of Formula 1 memorabilia have been donated by fellow drivers and these will be auctioned to raise further funds.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Abruzzo nel Cuore can do so via http://www.abruzzonelcuore.org/
10th May 2009
Spanish Grand Prix – Race
Jarno’s race finished at the first corner. The end. Seriously though, after both Toyotas were slow off the line, dragging them towards the back of the field, the accident was caused by Nico Rosberg coming back online and bouncing wheels with Jarno, which forced the Toyota into the gravel. As Jarno spun back onto the track he was collected by Sutil’s Force India, which had also been off track. Behind them, trying to avoid the other two, the Toro Rossos had their own accident with Bourdais’s car mounting Buemi’s. All four retired.Timo continued but his efforts led only to 10th place. Barrichello took the lead at the start, with Button behind and Vettel getting stuck behind Massa’s Ferrari. After the safety car to clear away the debris, Brawn found a way for Jenson to win the race ahead of his team mate Barrichello by switching his strategy to a two stopper and he subsequently won with a bemused team mate second and Mark Webber third. Only other retirees were Kovalainen on lap 8 and Raikkonen’s Ferrari on lap 18 with mechanical issues. To complete Ferrari’s bad day (another one), Massa lost two places at the end as he would have run out of fuel if he hadn’t slowed down and let Vettel and Alonso by. Top 8: Button, Barrichello, Webber, Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Heidfeld, Rosberg.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered an extremely disappointing Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. Hopes were high for another significant points haul when Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock lined up inside the top eight on the grid but they faded on the first lap. Jarno's race was short-lived due to an incident on the opening lap. As the cars fought for position from the start, he was forced wide and on to the grass at turn two, with his car spinning back onto the track. He was hit by Adrian Sutil, causing extensive damage and ending his race instantly. Timo's car was slow off the mark and he lost positions before the first corner, ending the first lap in eighth. His first pit stop came on lap 17 when he swapped his worn set of soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres for new ones. He fought hard to regain a place in the top eight and on lap 47 made his final pit stop, this time for hard tyres. He battled to the last lap to improve his position but, on a track where overtaking is
difficult, missed out on points for the first time this season.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 7th
Race Classification: DNF
"It was a very frustrating day for me because I was optimistic our strategy was good and I would be able to score a lot of points. Unfortunately my race did not last very long. I had a poor start because the engine didn't pull exactly as it should have done so I lost some positions and was right behind (Fernando) Alonso and (Nico) Rosberg going into the first corner. Rosberg went off then during the next corner he came back on to the track right next to me. I had to avoid him because he came back on really quickly. I had to steer off the track and lost control of the car over the grass, so I spun and someone hit me. But there is no point in looking back; now we have to focus on the next race when hopefully we can achieve a much better result."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 6th
Race Classification: 10th (+1 lap)
Pit Stop Laps: 17, 47
"I had a tough race. At the start the car didn't pull away; I don't know why but we have to analyse it because Jarno didn't have a great start either. He was in front of me into turn one and then I saw him spinning. I got through the incident but then I was behind Nico (Rosberg) and I couldn't get close enough to him in the slipstream; every time I was close my tyres started to go off. Even when I was in clear air today the car was not perfect so we have to look at what happened and try to come back stronger for the next races."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"That was a disappointing race because we were very hopeful of scoring points and it did not happen. We expected a better performance this weekend but things have not worked out as we wanted. The whole team put in a big effort to bring a package of aerodynamic upgrades to this race but ultimately it has been a frustrating weekend so we have to look at the data when we get back to Cologne and understand how to improve. Also, it seemed both Jarno and Timo had some trouble at the start so we have to analyse this too. But we will not be disheartened; we will push really hard in the coming days and we will fight for a better result in Monaco."
9th May 2009
Spanish Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Saturday Practice
Ferrari!! Remember them? They took 1st and 2nd places in practice with Massa fastest. Heidfeld crashed at turn 12 half way through the session and sat out the rest. Fisichella spun out at turn 7 but rejoined after a visit to the grass…. he’s used to it! Jarno was 6th and Timo 8th. Top 6: Massa, Raikkonen, Button, Barrichello, Kubica, Trulli.
Qualifying
Where did Jenson come from? After a low key session he claimed pole at the very last minute…. much to his team mate’s disgust, who ended up third, as Red Bull’s Vettel spilt the Brawns. Timo made 6th and Jarno 8th. Ferrari made one of those cocky mistakes we’ve come to know and love this year….. Kimi failed to get out of Q3 as he thought he had done enough and didn’t do a final run. But Massa ended up P4 to make up for it. Out of Q3 with Kimi were both Force Indias, Kovalainen, and Bourdais. Next to be eliminated, in Q2, were Buemi, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Piquet and Nakajima. Top 10: Button, Vettel, Barrichello, Massa, Webber, Glock, Trulli, Alonso, Rosberg, Kubica.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing will line up with both cars inside the top eight for the Spanish Grand Prix after a closely-fought qualifying session at the Circuit de Catalunya today. Having fine-tuned the set-up of the TF109 overnight and in final practice, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock took to the track on a sunny day with a slight breeze which saw track temperatures reach 41°C and air temperatures 21°C. The first qualifying session was typically hectic and, after starting with the hard Bridgestone Potenza, they made it into Q2 using the soft options. The battle to reach the top 10 was particularly tense but, again using the soft tyres, Jarno and Timo delivered on their last flying laps to progress, with Timo breaking into the top three. The final session saw three flying laps each on used soft tyres before one final flat-out run on a new set in the closing moments, which delivered promising grid positions for tomorrow's race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 6th, 1m 21.256s (+0.703s), 23 laps
1st Qualifying: 15th, 1m 21.189s (+0.705s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 9th, 1m 20.420s (+0.466s), 7 laps
3rd Qualifying: 7th, 1m 21.254s (+0.727s), 8 laps
"It was an interesting and tough qualifying session for me today, particularly Q1 and Q2 when I struggled a little on a low fuel load but we made it into Q3 which is the main thing. In Q3 the grip was much better with more fuel on board and the car reacted well so I was able to push hard. At the end of the session I managed to put in a very good lap so I am pleased with my performance and I think seventh on the grid is pretty good considering the fuel I have on board. I believe my strategy is a good one so today's result was positive and I am optimistic for a good result in the race."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 8th, 1m 21.377s (+0.824s), 26 laps
1st Qualifying: 8th, 1m 20.877s (+0.393s), 10 laps
2nd Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 20.107s (+0.153s), 7 laps
3rd Qualifying: 6th, 1m 21.247s (+0.720s), 8 laps
"I am reasonably satisfied to be starting in the top six, especially as the practice sessions didn't go completely to plan. I struggled a bit in practice with car stability but we worked hard to improve that and qualifying sixth is not a bad result so we have to be happy with it. Obviously we hoped to be a bit closer to the front but other teams have made a step forward this weekend and the competition is really close. I've scored points in all the races so far this season and starting from the third row gives me a good opportunity to keep up that run. Finishing on the podium will not be easy but of course I'll be pushing as hard as possible and we'll see what happens in the race tomorrow."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"All in all our qualifying performance went well and we are reasonably satisfied to have both cars in the top eight. It has been a busy weekend for us because we had several new aerodynamic items to evaluate in practice and we have done a lot of laps in preparation for the race. Prior to qualifying the practice results didn't look fantastic for us but we have worked well to be competitive again when it mattered. In terms of track and tyre characteristics here, we are in a situation which clearly opens a window for two or three pit stops so the race will be very interesting and we will probably see some different strategies. We believe we are in good shape so I am feeling positive."
8th May 2009
Spanish Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Button is quickest in session 1, with Jarno close behind. That’s not a usual Friday result! Timo is a more normal P8, although a gravel trip and a mistake on final chicane do not help! BMW make a surprise visit to the top 6. Top 6: Button, Trulli, Kubica, Heidfeld, Nakajima, Rosberg. The Williams boys take over at the top in the second session, with Spanish hero Alonso in third place. Piquet has a troubled session, sliding though gravel at Campsa and needing a push to regain the track… and then doing the gravel part again at turn 3. Sutil sits out the session with a fuel cell problem. Buemi suffers from smoking brakes on his first OUT lap and has to park the car temporarily. Toyota do something completely different from the others, resulting in P18 and 19 (JT). Top 6: Rosberg, Nakajima, Alonso, Barrichello, Webber, Button.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing got the European leg of the 2009 Formula 1 season underway with practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona today. Air temperatures reached a high of 25°C and track temperatures 43°C as Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock completed two busy 90-minute free practice sessions. For this race, the TF109 has a revised aerodynamic package and those changes needed to be evaluated on track today. As well as testing these improvements, including a striking new engine cover, both drivers also worked on the two compounds of Bridgestone Potenza tyre in use this weekend. The morning session ended with Jarno setting the second fastest time but the afternoon session was even busier and by the end of the day both drivers had each completed more than a race distance.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 2nd, 1m 22.154s (+0.355s), 30 laps
2nd Practice: 19th, 1m 23.623s (+2.035s), 47 laps
"We went through our normal Friday routine of testing tyres and set-up as we get ready for qualifying tomorrow. We also worked to understand what strategy to take in terms of tyres and everything. The tyre testing went reasonably well but obviously we need to analyse the data before we make any decisions. The car is not perfect and it needs to be a bit more balanced before I am happy with it. However, I think the track conditions will change for qualifying so I am not too worried. We have to wait and see what happens tomorrow morning."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 8th, 1m 22.828s (+1.029s), 29 laps
2nd Practice: 18th, 1m 23.360s (+1.772s), 46 laps
"It was not a very good day for me today to be honest. I was struggling quite a bit with the tyre behaviour in both practice sessions and it is really tricky to understand what the problem was. We have to analyse the results from today and work hard to make an improvement for qualifying tomorrow. I'm not happy with how things have gone today but we won't give up; we will do our best to find a solution."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Even though I am not too worried about the timing sheets, we have to say it was hard work today. Thanks to an enormous effort from everyone in Cologne, we brought quite a significant aero update for this weekend and with no in-season testing, we had to evaluate it all today. We did a lot of laps and made several comparison runs to get as much information as possible. Obviously you don't have as much time to concentrate on these parts as you do in testing so that makes it quite difficult. As well as evaluating the upgrades, we did quite a lot of tests, mainly on aero, brakes and tyres. We got some interesting results which we will analyse tonight and try to find the best compromise for tomorrow."
Spanish Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday 10 May, 2pm CET
Round: 5 of 17 Venue: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona Distance: 4.655km (66 laps) Lap record: 1min 21.670 (2008)
History: The Spanish Grand Prix was first run in 1913 as a sports car race but made its Formula 1 World Championship debut in 1951 at the Pedralbes track in Barcelona. Since then the race has visited Jarama, Montjuich Park and Jerez. The Circuit de Catalunya hosts the race for the 19th consecutive time this weekend.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this weekend for the start of the European season. Following the flyaway races which started the season, Toyota is third in the Constructors' Championship having claimed an impressive three podium finishes in four Grands Prix. Jarno Trulli recorded pole position, fastest lap and third place in the Bahrain Grand Prix while Timo Glock maintained his 100% points-scoring record in 2009 with seventh place. That put both Toyota drivers into the top five of the Drivers' Championship. The team has enjoyed podium success in Spain before, with Jarno finishing third in 2005 - one of two podiums he has scored in this race - while last year he was eighth on a day when Timo was 11th. Both drivers have extensive recent experience of the Circuit de Catalunya, having completed over 500 laps between them during four days of testing in March.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "It's good to be coming back to Europe again after the long-haul races as this makes things a little easier for everyone. The opening races of the season have shown the potential we have in our new car; to get pole position and the fastest race lap in Bahrain was a good achievement which gives us great encouragement. We'll see how it works out in Barcelona but we have to be optimistic after our strong performances so far. We tested in Barcelona before the season but I have to admit it's unusual to be preparing for the race having not driven at the track for a couple of months. In the past we have generally tested there just before the race so everything was quite predictable, but it could be different this time. I am enjoying this season because we are consistently fighting at the front so I am really looking forward to the Spanish Grand Prix."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Barcelona is one of the tracks I know best after all the testing and racing I've done there over the years and I'm feeling optimistic going into the Spanish Grand Prix. I have scored points in all the races so far - only two other drivers have done that - and I certainly expect to continue that run this weekend. But I hope to score a few more than in Bahrain; it was disappointing only to finish seventh after starting from the front row however the potential of the car is clear for everyone to see. That motivates everyone to keep pushing hard because we can see there is the possibility for some great results. We have an upgrade to the car this weekend so hopefully that can bring something extra but we will have to wait and see how the other teams develop as well."
John Howett, President: "We have made a successful start to our season but there is no doubt we want more; we feel we are close to our first victory and this is our clear target for the remainder of the year. We narrowly missed out on winning in Bahrain but by starting from pole position and setting the fastest lap, we showed we are right on the pace and we are working hard to bring it about soon. Thanks to the fantastic job done by the team over the winter, our car has been one of the very fastest so far this season and we have some aerodynamic upgrades in Spain which will bring more performance. We have an aggressive development programme for the whole season so I'm confident we will be in good shape."
Today, Tomorrow, Toyota This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s will feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, 'Today, Tomorrow, Toyota' is inspired by Toyota in Europe.
28th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix Debrief - Q+A with Jarno Trulli
Were you happy with third place in the race?
To be honest, I was disappointed because qualifying went so well and expectations were high that we could challenge for Toyota's first victory. I expected more than third place but it wasn't to be unfortunately, although I did set the fastest lap of the race which shows the potential of the car.
Is that disappointment a sign of the progress the team has made?
Absolutely. To be disappointed with third place makes such a difference compared to the previous few seasons. Last year my third place at Magny-Cours was a really special moment and the season before it was pretty much impossible to get near the podium so you can see that we have made a really big step this year. We have three podiums already from four races and that is the same number we had from the previous three seasons combined.
How did it feel to be back on pole position?
That was a great feeling on Saturday. It was not an easy qualifying session for me because we had a little issue with the brakes but I knew I had car which was quick enough to challenge for pole position so I never gave up. It was great for the team and personally it was a good feeling to be back on pole position.
What happened in the race?
I lost a position to Timo at the start because of a small oil spillage which meant the engine didn't pull away as well as it should have. Obviously it would have been better to be leading but I had quite a dramatic battle with Lewis (Hamilton); we were wheel to wheel so it was exciting and I kept second place. The car was feeling pretty good and I set the fastest lap of the race on lap 10. But at my first stop we went with the medium tyres and on those I was just defending against cars lighter than me on the super soft tyres. The other guys at the front waited until the final stint to use the medium tyres and in hindsight that was probably the right decision. I had Sebastian (Vettel) right behind me and at the final stop he got past. We went on to the super soft tyres and I was faster than him; I pushed as hard as I could but just couldn't overtake. It didn't work out for us but we still did a good race and finished on the podium.
From three podiums in three seasons to three in four races; what has changed?
Everyone in the team has worked so hard on this car and now we are seeing the rewards. In Formula 1 you have to push as hard as you can at all times and we have never given up fighting, so our improvement is really down to hard work from everyone. But you need experience as well and after seven seasons in Formula 1, Toyota is much more experienced so we understand more how to make the car quick and get the best out of it.
Can the team continue to be one of the front-runners when the European season begins?
I believe we have a good chance to be competitive all season but of course we have to keep on working hard, then time will tell. The car is really competitive right now and we are focused on what we are doing so I'm sure we can continue to fight at the front. Naturally, those teams who have historically been successful, but have struggled so far this season, are always capable of improving so we have to continue our development and never give up pushing. I have faith in my team.
On the podium you highlighted your support for the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake, how is the campaign going?
It is going very well. As I'm sure many people know, I have set up a website, www.abruzzonelcuore.org, to raise money for the people who have suffered in this dramatic event and already we have raised more than Euro17,000 so I am really pleased. We have had a lot of support from other drivers who have offered items to auction and I will keep pushing through the season to do what I can to help. The GPDA are officially supporting the project and we've had a lot of support from throughout Formula 1.
26th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix – Race
It’s not often we are disappointed by a third place podium! Jarno looked… ‘deflated’ it was described as on the BBC, and that’s how he looked. Normally he would have pleased with a podium but third place wasn’t what he hoped for today. Unfortunately Button’s Brawn and Vettel’s Red Bull were always a threat once Button had got ahead of Hamilton to run third on the first lap and the Red Bull first-stopped later than the Toyotas. Timo took the lead with Jarno running second at the start, but that was okay because Timo was lighter on fuel and stopping earlier. Then it seemed Toyota’s decision to run the prime tyre in the middle stint on both cars was a poor choice, slowing both drivers down as the other teams stuck to the super soft option tyre for the second stint and changed to the prime for the final stint. The wrong tyre at the wrong time saw Timo struggling in the midfield, and Jarno, having held up the Red Bull earlier in the race while on primes, stuck behind a slower Vettel, (who passed Jarno in the final pit stops), in the last part of the race with the Toyota on the faster tyre. Timo consequently finished 7th. Button won, despite having holes cut into the bottom of his car to aid cooling. Reliabilty was incredible, with Nakajima the first and only retirement on lap 49. There were a few battered cars in the first few laps: Massa, Nakajima, and both BMWs all needed new front wings. Top 8: Button, Vettel, Trulli, Hamilton, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Glock, Alonso.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing is celebrating its third podium of 2009 after Jarno Trulli took third place at today's Bahrain Grand Prix. On another sweltering day, Jarno started on pole with Timo alongside him on P2, both on the super soft tyre. Both cars made good starts but Timo edged in front into the first corner. The pair were closely matched early on, building up a cushion over the third placed car as Jarno set the race's fastest lap. Timo pitted on lap 11 and Jarno took advantage of his extra lap of fuel, jumping ahead at his first stop. Both drivers swapped to the medium compound tyre and Jarno ran second after the first round of stops. But Timo struggled for grip on his heavy fuel load and he brought his second stop forward to lap 33, fuelling to the end on the super soft tyre. Jarno also took the super soft tyres when he pitted on lap 37, battling hard en route to the podium. Timo added another two valuable points with 7th. Toyota was already celebrating in Bahrain as third driver Kamui Kobayashi wrapped up the GP2 Asia championship on Saturday.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 1st
Race Classification: 3rd (+9.170s)
Pit Stop Laps: 12, 37
"I'm a little disappointed to be honest because I thought we had a chance to take Toyota's first win this weekend. But it was a hard race. I was slightly slower into the first corner than Timo so I spent the first stint following him. I knew I was going longer than him but it was still difficult. Then we went for a very long second stint on the hard tyres. It was really hard fighting with the other cars and eventually Sebastian took the position after my last stop. After that he was on the hard tyres and I was on the soft. I was pushing him because I was quicker but there was no way to overtake. Still, I have to thank the engineers and mechanics because they did a very good job and it's good to be on the podium again."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 2nd
Race Classification: 7th (+42.880s)
Pit Stop Laps: 11, 33
"That was a difficult race. I made a promising start and I was surprised to get ahead of Jarno from the dirty side. Then we were the first car to pit, which was already critical. But when I went out on the prime tyres I don't know how many seconds I lost on the first two laps because I was really struggling for grip. I couldn't get any heat into the tyres and I really lost the race in the second stint. I was sliding around and it was clear that the speed was better on the options. In the end I was chasing Kimi but there was no chance to overtake. Still, two points are better than none and we will now look for more in Spain."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"We expected more from today but I'm happy with third place and I'd like to thank Jarno for his efforts. Timo struggled for stability on the prime tyre so that's where he lost ground but he still brought home two points. This is our third podium of the year so I'd like to thank everyone involved with the team, both here in Bahrain and at the factory, along with our sponsors. When we have conditions like these we must now aim for the centre of the podium, starting at the next race in Barcelona."
BBC Watch: the BBC ran an interview with Lewis Hamilton, which was a load of self-pitying, self-centred tripe. It seems poor Lewis isn’t having so much fun anymore, now that he isn’t in contention to win every race. He’s not too keen on the politics either, since he has fallen foul of the authorities in Liargate. Get real Lulu, F1 has always been like this. Only one person can win a race, and frankly, we’d like it shared around a bit. Apparently the actual driving is the only part of his job he likes now, so the interviewer must have been flattered. The only reason Lewis is doing the job now is for his fans….. but not the ones who take his picture when he away from the track!!! You don’t get one thing without the other, do you? He hasn’t worked that out yet…..
25th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying
JARNO IS ON POLE!!!! JARNO IS ON POLE!!!! WOOHOO!!!!! And Timo joins him on the front row!!! Toyota are delighted!! This might keep the funding going for a bit longer. First pole since 2005…. Is it really that long??? Out after Q1 are the Force Indias, Bourdais, Buemi and Webber, who was blocked by Sutil on a fast lap. Lost from Q2 are both BMWs, Nakajima, Piquet (after a mistake at the final corner), and Kovalainen, who slipped to P11 after his team mate qualified for the Q3 shoot out. Thanks Lulu, he possibly said. Both Ferraris got through as well. Top 10: Trulli, Glock, Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Barrichello, Alonso, Massa, Rosberg, Raikkonen.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing is celebrating its best ever qualifying performance after Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock locked out the front row for tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix. On a blisteringly hot and sunny day at the Bahrain International Circuit, air temperatures ranged from 35-38�C while the track was 47-51�C. Timo had set the fastest time during the morning practice session but he also suffered an electronics glitch. This afternoon he and Jarno did their first runs in Q1 on the medium compound tyre before switching to the super soft for the rest of the afternoon. They both sailed into Q3 and put together great laps. Jarno took pole with Timo alongside him on P2. Toyota will now look to make the most of this perfect start to the weekend in tomorrow's race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
3rd Practice: 9th, 1m 33.397s (+0.792s), 19 laps
1st Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 32.779s (+0.099s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 32.671s (+0.197s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 1st, 1m 33.431s (fastest), 7 laps
"I'm thrilled to be back on pole again. This weekend has gone well and it's great to be starting at the front tomorrow. In fact this afternoon didn't go quite as smoothly as yesterday because I had a bit of a problem with my brakes during the session. That's a bit of a worry for the race so we'll have to look into it overnight. Still, I'm confident for tomorrow because our race pace has been good this weekend and we've been looking after the tyres well. The first three races haven't really worked out for me but I hope we can now change that. We tested here over the winter and this track has gone well for our cars in the past. To have both cars in the top two shows we did a very good job. I'd like to dedicate this pole both to my team, who have worked so hard, and to the people of my home region Abruzzo, who suffered a disastrous earthquake this month."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 1st, 1m 32.605s (fastest), 16 laps
1st Qualifying: 7th, 1m 33.165s (+0.485s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 32.613s (+0.139s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 33.712s (+0.281s), 7 laps
"It's brilliant that we've been able to take the top two places today. We had a problem on my car yesterday and we were struggling but the team did a good job to change things for today. We were quickest in the session this morning, though I lost a bit of running with an electronics glitch. But qualifying went extremely smoothly. The wind changed a bit and it was a struggle to get used to the prime tyres in Q1. After that I felt more comfortable in Q2 but in Q3 I made a small error after turn 8 so I couldn't catch Jarno. A big thank you to all the engineers and mechanics because it's been a hard start to the season for everyone and this is a great result for us."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We're obviously delighted with today's result. We have been competitive throughout the weekend so we were targeting pole and things went as expected - though the gap to the cars behind us is a bit bigger than we anticipated. Both drivers did a great job and from the very first lap in Q1 we could see the pace was there so we just had to manage it over the sessions. Tomorrow's race will be very interesting because the tyre situation generates huge differences between the two specs and it opens windows for very different strategies. We already saw yesterday that our pace over one lap and our consistency over long runs has been good. This morning went well except for a small electronics problem on Timo's car. Congratulations to the engineers and mechanics who fixed it in time. Now we have to convert this perfect start into a result tomorrow."
Post Qualifying Press Conference on the Members Page
25th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday Practice
Our Timo heads the time sheets after practice 3, followed by Massa and the inevitable Rosberg. Jarno is obviously testing something else, as he settles for P9. Bourdais has a problem and can only do 7 laps and is last. Heikki overcomes a throttle sensor issue to be P12. Top 6: Glock, Massa, Rosberg, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Raikkonen, Piquet (well done Nelson, you still look doomed though).
24th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix - Friday Practice
No sandstorm yet and there is the usual quiet start to Friday practice. When they all get going there are a few drivers running wide at turn 10 and a big slide from Raikkonen at turn 2. When all is done and dusted, Hamilton is fastest which certainly excited talkSport. Maybe they haven’t heard of Jenson Button who leads the drivers’ championship. The BMWs are just behind Ham with JB in 5th. Jarno is P15 and Timo P17. Top 6: Hamilton, Heidfeld, Kubica, Rosberg, Button, Kovalainen.
Back to ‘normal’ in the second session when Rosberg is quickest again for Williams. Alonso is 2nd, Jarno 3rd and no McLarens in the top 10. Timo is 8th. Piquet loses a front wing on his way to P15. Top 6: Rosberg, Alonso, Trulli, Vettel, Webber, Button.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing began preparations for the Bahrain Grand Prix with two full practice sessions today. After the wild weather of the early races of 2009, it was sunny at the Bahrain International Circuit, with air temperatures ranging 32-37�C and track from 43-57�C. Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock had busy days collecting data for Saturday and Sunday. Both drivers used only the medium Bridgestone tyre compound in the morning but they sampled both that and the super soft in the afternoon. The team will now analyse the information to finalise set-up for qualifying and the race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
1st Practice: 15th, 1m 35.036s (+1.389s), 22 laps
2nd Practice: 3rd, 1m 33.616s (+0.277s), 37 laps
"We collected a lot of data here during our winter tests at this circuit but the conditions today were very different. So we had to change some of our set-up in order to suit the car to these temperatures, which are much hotter. There is also quite a lot more sliding around than we had in the winter but I guess that's the same for everyone. We spent the day going through our usual programme of tyre testing and set-up work. We still need to find a bit more driveability in the car but it's not a bad start to the weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 17th, 1m 35.333s (+1.686s), 20 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 33.764s (+0.425s), 37 laps
"During our winter tests at this circuit we had a good, consistent pace but so far today I've found the car quite hard to drive. The lap times aren't bad but I've been struggling for balance. So we'll have to work overnight to sort out our direction for tomorrow and to get the car back to where it should be. If we can do that then I'm sure we can keep up our strong start to the year."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Today was a very good day for us overall. Even though we mainly had fine conditions during winter testing here, there is still a significant difference in temperature. So we had to reassess some of the items we had already tried. We have some updates in aerodynamics and brake cooling here and we ran through our programme without issues. The tyre behaviour certainly seems less critical than in the last few races. So this is a very good baseline for another strong showing on Sunday."
20th April 2009
Bahrain Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday 26 April, 2pm CET
Round: 4 of 17
Venue: Bahrain International Circuit
Distance: 5.412km (57 laps)
Lap record: 1min 30.252 (2004)
History: The first Bahrain Grand Prix was held in 2004 at the Bahrain International Circuit, which has held the race every year since. In 2006, Bahrain had the honour of being the first race of the season.
Panasonic Toyota Racing returns to action swiftly after the Chinese Grand Prix with a trip to the Middle East for the Bahrain Grand Prix on the Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir. The team benefits from extensive recent experience of the track with the TF109, having spent two weeks testing there in February, completing 3,847km over 711 laps. Toyota has scored points in every race so far this season, with Timo Glock claiming a fighting seventh place in China on a day when Jarno Trulli was eliminated after being hit from behind by a rival. This weekend the team will again use the super soft and medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, having previously used these in both China and Australia. Toyota has a strong record in Bahrain and already has experience of the podium there following Jarno's second place in 2005. More recently, Jarno finished sixth there last year while Timo was ninth after a late gearbox issue denied him points.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I am looking forward to racing in Bahrain after the tests we had there over the winter. Bahrain was the first chance I had to really test the TF109 in dry conditions and I knew immediately we had a competitive package, which has proved to be the case now the season has started. In testing the car was strong in Bahrain so I have a good feeling for this weekend and I think we can be competitive. Weather and track conditions change from winter testing to the race weekend but it should still help us a bit to have set-up information from the new car at this track, and we have quite a bit of experience now with these two compounds of tyre. I will push as hard as I can, as always, and I know everyone in the team is really motivated so I hope for a smooth and successful weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "The Bahrain Grand Prix is good fun and the track is unique. For car set-up you have to compromise between straightline speed and grip in the slower corners, which is quite a tricky balance to achieve. One issue we face particularly in Bahrain is the wind, which comes in across the desert and can change direction from lap to lap. This can make the car a bit unstable if it blows in the wrong direction but we know what to expect so we can be prepared. Last year I was pretty unlucky in Bahrain because I had to back off with a small technical issue when I was sure I would score my first points for the team. But this season has started in a much better way compared to 2008 and I am confident I can continue to show that good performance."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "We achieved a huge amount of laps in Bahrain during testing and this was very useful in terms of developing the TF109. It should also be useful for this weekend because we have some experience of set-up and slick tyres at this track with the new cars, so we should hit the ground running on Friday. We tested both tyre compounds when we were in Bahrain in February and they performed well in representative temperature conditions so we're not expecting any major problems in that area. Otherwise, Bahrain is quite tough on the brakes; we expect it to be harder on them than any other race this season."
Passion to Lead This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s will feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, 'Passion to Lead' is inspired by Toyota in Bahrain. The message can be seen on the rear wing end plates and the driver's head protection of the TF109.
19th April 2009
Chinese Grand Prix – Race
Third wet race in a row. Not a great day for Jarno or Toyota really, although Timo picked up a couple of points just by keeping going and making the most of the strategy. Also it proves that it’s better to hit someone yourself, as Timo did Heidfeld, than be hit yourself from the back, as Jarno was by Kubica. Indeed Kubica appeared to try to launch himself into the air, taking off Jarno’s rear wing in the process. Jarno was pretty slow at the time and it was difficult to see with the spray, but Buemi didn’t stop Vettel from continuing and subsequently winning the race in a similar scenario later on as Buemi rushed to catch up under the safety car. Maybe it was the speed differential…. Jarno says he was struggling for grip as the car was set up for dry conditions. Toyota got pushed down to 3rd in the Constructors Championship as Red Bull took 1st and 2nd place and 18 points in one hit! It rained the whole time, the race beginning with 8 laps under the Safety Car. The SC came out again after Kubica hit Jarno as there was debris all over the track Amazingly, Kubica was able to continue with a new nosecone, although it did work loose later on and he had to go back to the pits for a replacement. Timo also lost his front wing during the course of the race but he was still able to achieve 7th place. The Red Bulls were strong throughout, with the Brawns struggling to hang on, but they did get 3rd and 4th. Alonso’s dry weather strategy was against him from the start but he was doing okay when he had a late spin. Piquet’s day was worse though….he needed 3 new nose sections after spinning into a marker board and later into a barrier. He needs lessons from Hamilton who was 6th after spinning 5 times and avoiding anything hard….he was thankful for the run off areas…and Sutil’s aquaplane into the barriers five laps from the end. Even Kovalainen completed the race and took 5th place. The Williams had a bad day too, with Nakajima retiring after a few spins and Rosberg finishing 15th after a late gamble on intermediate tyres failed. Top 8: Vettel, Webber, Button, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Glock, Buemi.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing will leave China with two points after a hard day's work at the second rain-affected race of 2009. Following a dry week, the heavens opened just hours before the race, which started behind the safety car in the wet conditions. Timo Glock started from the pit lane with a heavy fuel load on wet Bridgestone tyres. He initially made up ground with a number of passing moves and he was up to 11th by the second safety car period. Unfortunately he sustained front wing damage and he was forced to come in for an early pit stop to change it on lap 24. The pit stop crew did a quick turnaround and he was fuelled to the end of the race. He dropped to the back again but he battled hard, passing more cars and bringing his TF109 home in 7th for two points. Jarno Trulli started in 6th place but struggled for grip in the wet conditions, losing ground before he was hit from behind by Robert Kubica's BMW on lap 17. He returned to the pits but the damage was too great to continue.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
Grid: 6th
Race Classification: DNF
Pit Stop Lap: 18
"That was not a good day for me. The conditions were very difficult, there was a lot of standing water and lots of aquaplaning. When the safety car came in I made a solid start and my pace was okay in the early laps. But then I started struggling for grip, the pace just wasn't there and the longer it went on the more ground I lost. On lap 17 I just felt a big hit from behind and I lost my rear wing. I made it back to the pits but we couldn't continue. Still, my pace yesterday shows we're close the front so now we must hope for better fortunes in Bahrain next weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 19th
Race Classification: 7th (+1m 14.476s)
Pit Stop Lap: 24
"In the end we picked up more points from the pit lane so we have to be happy with that. But it was a very hard race, especially at the beginning. I was quite surprised when we started the race. When you're at the back of the field there is no chance to see anything and it's like driving blind. I made up some ground but I damaged my front wing when I touched Nick. It was so difficult to see, I misjudged my braking point and hit him on the back. That meant we had to bring our pit stop forward by a few laps to fix the damage. Later when I had a clear run for five or six laps I was pretty quick and on the pace but as soon as I caught Kimi I was stuck behind him. I couldn't see the standing water so I had to back off, particularly in the areas where you could overtake. In the end I got past and we were able to bring it home 7th."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"Timo didn't quite put together his last qualifying run yesterday but he never gave up. Today he twice found himself at the back of the field but he showed great spirit to overtake so many cars and bring home two points. Jarno struggled to make the most of his strong grid position today so we will have to check the data to find out what went wrong. Still, his qualifying performance was good so I'm sure he will do his best to make the podium again at the next race. We still have our spirit to win and we will fight again in Bahrain next week."
18th April 2009
Chinese Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice: Nico Rosberg did a Lewis Hamilton and slid into the dreaded gravel at the pitlane entrance after his installation lap. Luckily it was practice and a not a race important for the WDC! After a 20 minute delay while the car was retrieved and delivered back to the Williams garage, Nico was quickest at the end of the session. Our Jarno was second, with Timo at the bottom after gear box problems which led to a change and a penalty of 5 places on the grid for the race. Red Bull had driveshaft problems on both cars, restricting them to 7 and 8 laps. And Alonso also had problems and only completed 6 laps. Top 6: Rosberg, Trulli, Hamilton, Button, Piquet, Massa.
Qualifying: How refreshing that once again the Ferraris and McLarens are nowhere to be seen in the top 6. Or 7 actually, as the highest Ferrari (Kimi) is 8th and the highest McLaren (Lewis) is 9th, just ahead of Buemi’s Toro Rosso. Red Bull are 1st and 3rd with Vettel taking pole and Alonso the middle of the sandwich, maybe benefiting as the only Renault with a new diffuser, and maybe running a bit light. The Brawns have to settle for 4th and 5th and Jarno is 6th. Poor Timo can only manage 14th which will be 19th after the gear box penalty is applied. It’s tough at the bottom, with Kubica and Piquet (with the old diffuser) going out with both Force Indias and Bourdais. Timo is in good company with Q2 also eliminating Massa, Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Nakajima. Top 10: Vettel, Alonso, Webber, Barrichello, Button, Trulli, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Buemi.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing will head into tomorrow's Chinese Grand Prix with one car on row three of the grid after a tight qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit. On a sunny day in China, air temperatures ranged from 22-25°C while the track was 33-38°C. Timo Glock's day got off to an unfortunate start when he had a gearbox problem early in the morning practice session. That required a gearbox change and left him with a five-place grid penalty. This afternoon, in Q1 both drivers did their first run on the medium compound Bridgestone tyre before switching to the super soft for the second run. They stayed on the softer rubber for the rest of the sessions. Jarno had a successful afternoon, making it through to Q3 and setting the 6th fastest time. After his morning troubles, Timo struggled for grip in Q2 and qualified in 14th place, although he will drop to 19th after his penalty.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
3rd Practice: 2nd, 1m 36.272s (+0.139s), 22 laps
1st Qualifying: 9th, 1m 36.308s (+0.775s), 8 laps
2nd Qualifying: 5th, 1m 35.645s (+0.515s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 6th, 1m 36.835s (+0.651s), 7 laps
"It was a hard qualifying for me and I'm a bit disappointed with the results because after this morning's practice session I believed we had the pace to be at the front. But somehow, just as in Australia, the grip slipped away between this morning and this afternoon. Something was missing after that, the car wasn't there any more and I had to push hard even to make it into Q3. Still, I was happy with my final lap and in the end P6 is a reasonable place to start. Tomorrow should be a good race and there could be rain so that could mix things up."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 20th, 1m 39.110s (+2.977s), 6 laps
1st Qualifying: 10th, 1m 36.364s (+0.831s), 8 laps
2nd Qualifying: 14th (grid: 19th), 1m 36.066s (+0.936s), 6 laps
"This morning I had a gearbox problem after three or four laps in free practice so we lost a complete session. So I was short of track time heading into qualifying. The car felt different from yesterday and it was already really tricky to drive in Q1. I couldn't string a lap together and I knew it would be difficult to get into Q3 because the times were so tight. It felt slippery, I couldn't quite feel confident with the car and on the last lap I made a mistake so that was that. With our penalty it means we are starting from the back row so now we just have to hope for rain tomorrow."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"This was obviously a disappointing result, far away from our 2009 standards. Timo had a gearbox problem this morning which we couldn't repair so we were forced to change the unit for qualifying. So Timo had a troubled day and a troubled qualifying, which together with the penalty means he will start on the back row. Of course we will amend his strategy for this position. For Jarno it went better, but still far from expectations. The tyres have been the story of the weekend, especially the management of the softer compound, which is better than expected but still problematic. There is a window for a three-stop strategy here so it will be interesting to see how the race unfolds."
17th April 2009
Chinese Grand Prix – Friday Practice
Amazingly, McLaren have produced a new diffuser for their car and whether it was that or not, Lewis Liar is fastest in the first session but the Brawns are next. There are no major incidents although Jarno had a half hour black out on his dashboard with an electrical problem on his way to P6. Timo was 8th. Top 6: Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Webber,Trulli.
Not so good for McLaren in the second session as the world champ slipped to 13th and his team mate with less new stuff on the car was…hmm…. 9th. The Force Indias spent most of their time off the track. Button was fastest from Rosberg’s Williams. Jarno was 6th again and Timo 8th…again. Top 6: Button, Rosberg, Barrichello, Webber, Vettel, Trulli.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing today began preparations for the Chinese Grand Prix with a day of practice at the Shanghai International Circuit. The teams normally come to the city later in the season so conditions are cooler than usual here. Despite a sunny day, the air temperature ranged from 16-20°C and the track temperature from 26-34°C. Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock both had full days of practice as they work towards Saturday and Sunday. The TF109s feature aerodynamic updates here and they collected useful data throughout both sessions. During the morning session, Jarno had a slow in-lap due to an electrical problem but it did not hamper his programme. In the afternoon both drivers sampled the softer of the two Bridgestone tyre compounds in preparation for qualifying and the race.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
1st Practice: 6th, 1m 37.764s (+0.430s), 19 laps
2nd Practice: 6th, 1m 36.217s (+0.538s), 42 laps
"That was a busy Friday for me. This morning we had an electrical problem which cost us a bit of track time but we recovered to complete our programme of work on set-up and tyres. The track surface wasn't in fantastic condition this morning but it improved during the day. In general I'm still not happy with the car's balance and pace so I hope we can analyse the data tonight and aim for better tomorrow. Then we can target another strong result on Sunday."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 8th, 1m 37.894s (+0.560s), 21 laps
2nd Practice: 8th, 1m 36.548s (+0.869s), 40 laps
"So far things are going okay for us. The track was quite tricky this morning because there wasn't much grip. I was sliding around on the green track and had to find a way to get the car together. But over the course of the day we sorted out a lot in terms of the set-up. The second free practice session was better and the car felt more together. So we have more work to do to get the car in the right direction for tomorrow. But overall this has not been a bad start to the weekend."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"We made it through our programme without major issues on the car.
16th April 2009
Thursday Press Conference - China
Extracts
Q. Jarno, a massive development race. First of all your feelings about the car. Is it better or worse than you expected?
Jarno TRULLI: I think that the car has been developed pretty well over the winter time, so the first race went pretty well scoring lots of points. But there is still a lot of work to do. Our car is competitive but we still have to catch up with Brawn GP as at the moment they are more competitive than us. There is work to do and we are focussed on that job.
Q. When are you expecting upgrades?
JT: We have got some upgrades here, front wing and rear end of the car as well. We are consistently working on it. The team so far has done a good job. Obviously after so much noise about the rear diffuser we are a little bit undecided about what is going on but on the other hand we were quite confident that we would win the race and in the end I am pleased with it.
Q. This circuit has not been good for you.
JT: No matter. I will just get on with my job and with my team to do the best for this weekend. Hopefully it will be a good weekend as I have an important reason to get a good result. As you can see on my overall I am wearing a message for my new charity campaign, Abruzzo del Cuore (Abruzzo in the Heart). You all probably have heard about the dramatic situation in the region after the earthquake. I want to support the people and to do that I gave up one of my sponsors to give visibility and raise money. I am going to ask GPDA drivers, teams, everyone, to join me. This is not just asking about the money. I am raising money but I want to ask people to donate not just money but items.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q. (Beniamino Natale – ANSA) I would like to ask Jarno if he has anything more to say about his help for Abruzzo, his home region where there was this dramatic
earthquake?
JT: We have probably all seen what happened there and being part of Abruzzo I wanted to do something special. It took a few days before really realising what was going on, because honestly it is a dramatic situation there. Nearly three hundred people died which is not so many compared to what really happened. We don't have a city or villages anymore; everything has gone, blown away.
More than one hundred thousand people have been left with nothing: no houses, no jobs, families. It must be really hard. I didn't go back yet because I haven't had time because of the travelling and work. I will go back just after these two flyaway races. At the same time, I was trying to think what to do and I believe that as I am from Abruzzo and this is an Italian business but everyone around the world knows about the earthquake and because I work around the world, I just wanted to show to everyone or let everyone know what's going on there.
There isn't much difference between the tsunami and the earthquake in Abruzzo, it's a dramatic situation and I want to make my contribution. Eventually, the final target will be to raise money first of all and then at the end of the season see how much we have and try to go there and rebuild schools – everything basically has to be rebuilt. I just want to try really hard. For once in my life, I will probably go and knock on everyone's door to raise some money.
Q. Jarno, in Sepang you managed to qualify second and the team got on the podium, so are you confident that Toyota is able to catch Brawn GP?
JT: We cannot take the Malaysian result as all the other races because first of all it has been cut short. A lot of events affected the race, so it would be unfair but the first two races definitely showed that looking at the performance, Toyota is not far away from Brawn and for sure it's in the top three teams. On the other hand, there is some work to do in order to beat Brawn GP but I'm confident because my engineers worked really hard, they have a good idea of what to do in the future and it's better to start being second in the championship rather than being fourth or fifth as we were in the past. I think we have a pretty good car, a good base and now it's just a matter of developing it.
Q. (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Question for all of you: have you stayed out in Asia and what have you been up to if you have?
JT: Just after the last race I flew back to Europe. I went to the factory, did some work and then spent some days at home with the kids and obviously Easter with the family. I just managed to lose my voice on the flight coming here to China. I'm here since Tuesday morning; I haven't done much, to be honest because there isn't much to do, and I will fly out on Sunday night.
15th April 2009
Toyota Motorsport GmbH statement
Toyota Motorsport is pleased to hear the FIA International Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the Australian Grand Prix stewards concerning the rear diffuser on our car.
As we have maintained throughout, our team studied the wording of the new 2009 regulations in precise detail to ensure we interpreted them correctly.
We also made full use of the consultation procedure with the FIA which was a helpful process to ensure our interpretation of the technical regulations was correct.
Therefore we had every confidence that the design of our car would be confirmed as legal, firstly by race stewards in Australia and Malaysia and subsequently by the Court of Appeal.
Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina said: "I was confident the Court of Appeal would reach this verdict and I am satisfied with it. It is important to stress we studied the technical regulations in precise detail, consulting the FIA in our process, and never doubted our car complied with them. This has been a challenging period for Formula 1 and I am pleased this issue is now in the past and we can focus on an exciting season on the track."
14th April 2009
Chinese Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 19 April, 9am CET
Round: 3 of 17
Venue: Shanghai International Circuit
Distance: 5.451km (56 laps)
Lap record: 1min 32.238 (2004)
History: The first Chinese Grand Prix was held in 2004 at the Shanghai International Circuit, where it has been held ever since. A Chinese Grand Prix at Zhuhai International Circuit was provisionally included on the 1999 World Championship calendar but did not take place.
Panasonic Toyota Racing continues the 2009 Formula 1 season with another trip eastwards, this time to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, which comes much earlier in the season than its usual autumn spot. Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli finished third and fourth respectively in the Malaysian Grand Prix last time out, reversing the result in Australia and taking the team's Formula 1 podium tally to 10. After the race the team briefly returned home to its technical centre in Cologne, Germany before making the trip to China, although the cars and equipment went directly from Sepang to Shanghai. Last year Timo Glock finished seventh in China to score more points in his debut season while Jarno Trulli was eliminated in an early accident. Toyota has finished on the podium before in China, in 2005 with Ralf Schumacher, and that will be the target again this weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I am really optimistic about the Chinese Grand Prix because we have started the season very strongly. It shows how much progress we have made since last season that in Malaysia I was a little disappointed with fourth because I wanted to finish on the podium and fight for the win. Last year in Malaysia I finished fourth and that was more than we expected. We are second in the Constructors' Championship so it's clear we are one of the top teams and both Timo and I have consistently been fighting at the front which is great. So the goal for me in China is to fight for the podium again and I think we have a really good chance. China is one of those circuits where I have never had much luck and it was the same last year when I was hit from behind at the first corner, so I'm determined to have a better weekend this time."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "Malaysia was a crazy race but it was a great result for the team and it gives us a lot of confidence for the Chinese Grand Prix. We were really competitive in all conditions which is a good sign because it confirms we were right to be optimistic before the season started. We have had both cars finish in the top four in both races so far this season so we are definitely aiming to challenge for the podium again, but of course it's pretty close so we will have to do another good weekend. It seems strange to be going to China in April because it has always been later in the season; the weather looks like it could be a bit cooler than usual. I quite enjoy racing at Shanghai because it's an interesting track. Last year I went well there and scored points, but I'm hoping to get more than seventh place this weekend, that's for sure."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "Shanghai is a track which offers a very wide range of cornering speeds so you cannot optimise the car just for high-speed or low-speed corners; you have to find a good balance. The unique aspect to the Shanghai track is its very long corners; turn one and turn 13. It is extremely important to get the balance of the car right in turn 13 because it comes out on to the main straight and you want to exit at the highest possible speed. These two corners and the specific lay-out in general are also demanding on tyres so overall Shanghai is quite severe in terms of tyre wear. If you have a compound which is too soft it is likely to have graining issue. So it will be interesting to see how the super soft and medium compound tyres behave this weekend."
5th April 2009
Malaysian Grand Prix - Race
It ended up rather a wet one! The teams were expecting rain around the beginning of the race, but the monsoon took rather longer to arrive….half way through the race. Not even the safety car could help, the race was redflagged, and eventually, after the drivers and teams had hung around the grid for nearly an hour while Charlie Whiting decided whether a) the race could be re-started b) could be run under the safety until three quarter distance when full points could be given, or c) just abandoned with half points awarded. It was the last one. Which means Jarno has a half point to accommodate for the rest of the season, dammit. By the end Jarno was 4th, Timo was 3rd, Nick Heidfeld lucked big time into 2nd and Jenson won again. Only 2 retirements amazingly, Kovalainen who spun off into the gravel after a couple of corners, a bit like last week, and Kubica who barely got off the grid with an engine problem. At the start, Rosberg shot into the lead, then Jarno got past Button, for them to run 1,2 and 3 until the first stops. Button ran a couple of laps longer than the other two and took the lead. The clouds were already gathering. Bizarrely, Ferrari put Kimi on wet weather tyres before it rained, and they were done for after two laps, and he’d lost 40 seconds. A few laps later it did rain though, and they all dived into the pits for wet tyres….. except Timo who opted for inters and the gamble paid off, purely because the downpour didn’t arrive as expected until a few laps later. Meanwhile Timo had made up 10 seconds per lap and drove through to second place! He was leading the race when everyone else decided inters were the way to go and went in for another tyre change. Just as Jenson caught up and passed Timo, the rain finally came down with a vengeance, and back they all went for wet tyres! It was too much for F1 cars, they all started falling off the road, and on lap 31 the Safety Car was called and after a very short time the race was red-flagged, with the positions declared from the lap before the Safety Car. Top 8: Button, Heidfeld (!), Glock, Trulli, Barrichello, Webber, Hamilton, Rosberg. While they were waiting on the grid to find out if the race would continue, we got an interesting insight into Race Engineer Rob Smedley’s relationship with his driver, Felipe Massa. Felipe, having a little panic: “I need a white visor… please come with white visor….otherwise I can’t see anything….!!!! Rob: “Felipe baby, stay cool, we’re bringing you the white visor….we’re in a good position..” (He lied!) Bless.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing claimed its second consecutive podium finish during an incredible rain-affected Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit. Timo Glock scored the second podium finish of his career while Jarno Trulli, who had been fighting for the lead throughout, also took strong points as reward for a battling race in difficult conditions. An exciting start saw Jarno's fighting spirit as he reclaimed second place while Timo, on the outside at the first corner, dropped to eighth. Jarno pushed hard to keep first place within sight, while Timo was caught in a tight battle for the top six. Having started on the option tyre, both drivers continued with that compound at their first pit stops, with Jarno briefly leading. But then, on lap 20, the rain came and both were forced to pit on lap 22 with track conditions extremely difficult. Jarno was given wet tyres while Timo took intermediates. As the fastest man on track, Timo made up a host of positions as Jarno valiantly
fought for the podium. Heavy rain and changing track conditions made strategy extremely difficult. Jarno made a further two trips to the pits first for intermediate then wet tyres while Timo switched to wets as the rain increased. Conditions were so bad the race was red flagged and after waiting to see if conditions improved, the race was declared and half points awarded.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
Grid: 2nd
Race Classification: 4th (+46.173s)
Pit Stop Laps: 17, 22, 28, 31
"I am happy for the team. I feel a bit unlucky this weekend - I missed pole position by a tenth and it could have been an even better result for me. It was a good race and it was certainly eventful. I was pushing at the front and fighting with Rosberg for the lead. Actually I was struggling a bit with traction but it was very close. Then the rain came and the team chose to go with heavy wets, which was the more conventional strategy. I was the quickest car on the heavy wets but that was not enough because the tyres went after two laps. Timo was on the intermediates at that stage and that worked out better for him. I was a bit unlucky but strategy is always easier in hindsight and I don't want to blame anyone. It is a pity to just miss out on the podium but it is another very good result for the entire team."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 3rd
Race Classification: 3rd (+23.513s)
Pit Stop Laps: 15, 22, 30
"It is fantastic to be back on the podium and I am really happy for the whole team. It was a really tricky race. I started third and was eighth at the end of the first lap. I struggled a bit behind the guys in front of me in dry conditions but I made the right call on the intermediate tyres; I said let's just take the risk and go for it. It was a long time before the rain really came down and I was not sure what everyone else was doing. They were struggling on the wets but I was really quick and I made up a lot of positions. When the rain came down I had to go to heavy wets because my tyres were destroyed. I was going well on them and it was unlucky that they declared the results based on the order at the penultimate lap because I could have had second. When the red flags came out I was second but I'm still happy with the result."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"I am very proud of the team's efforts today because it is fantastic to get another podium and it shows how competitive we are this season. It was an extremely challenging race for the team but everyone did their best and was professional even in those difficult conditions. It is disappointing for the fans that the race could not continue as scheduled due to the weather but there was nothing that could be done. We have shown again today that we are really fighting at the front this season and I am obviously hoping we can continue this very good performance in the Chinese Grand Prix as well."
4th April 2009
Malaysian Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice: As they can apparently mix and match their engines this season, most teams have decided to change their engines for this race. McLaren and Toro Rosso are the only exceptions. Nico Rosberg was fastest yet again as the order was quite mixed. Toyota did well though with Jarno and Timo 4th and 5th. The Brawns settled for the middle of the table, the McLarens below them. Top 6: Rosberg, Webber, Massa, Trulli, Glock, Vettel.
Qualifiying: It was a hard fought qualifying with Jarno super fast. He couldn’t quite take pole from Jenson but ended up P2 on the front row. Timo was 5th, moving up to 3rd after Vettel (3rd) and Barrichello (4th) move down the grid through penalties. The team and driver who messed up the most was Ferrari and Massa, who arrogantly assumed they didn’t need to do a second run in Q3, and ended up eliminated in 16th. Joining him were both Force Indias, Piquet and Buemi, who went off the track during his last run. Beleagured McLaren couldn’t get past Q2 with either driver and were joined by Bourdais, Nakajima and Heidfeld (isn’t that the BMW with the KERS???). In the final shoot out, Jarno traded times with Button’s Brawn, a matter of hundredths of a second between them. Top 10: (revised) Button, Trulli, Glock, Rosberg, Webber, Kubica, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Alonso.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing will start the Malaysian Grand Prix with two cars in the top three after a close qualifying session at Sepang International Circuit today. The session started in late afternoon with threatening rain clouds gathering but air temperatures nevertheless of 29-30°C and track temperatures of 36-40°C. After testing both Bridgestone Potenza tyres in practice, both drivers used the hard tyres at the beginning but then switched to the softer option to ease through Q1, when just 1.5secs covered the entire grid. It was also close in Q2 but both Toyotas comfortably made it through, again on the option tyres. As usual, the top-10 shoot-out in Q3 was a close affair but Jarno was always in the fight for pole position and he claimed second in the very last seconds as the rain stayed away. Timo, who also used the soft compound for his flying laps, improved significantly with his final run to set the fifth fastest time. However, due to penalties for other cars he will start third.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
3rd Practice: 4th, 1m 36.132s (+0.192s), 21 laps
1st Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 34.745s (+0.064s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 33.990s (+0.206s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 2nd, 1m 35.273s (+0.092s), 7 laps
"The team has done a fantastic job, we stayed away from traffic and the car was feeling good, so it has been a very successful day for us. The car feels strong now but I have to admit I wasn't sure I would be in this position after practice yesterday because it was quite difficult. I worked hard with my engineers to analyse the data and make some improvements to the set-up and we got it spot-on in qualifying. In a way it's a little disappointing to miss pole position by just a few hundredths but that's how close Formula 1 is at the moment. Compared to last year we are much more competitive this season and instead of fighting for the top six we are now here fighting in the top three. I hope for a strong race tomorrow and I will fight as hard as I can."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
3rd Practice: 5th, 1m 36.189s (+0.249s), 22 laps
1st Qualifying: 3rd, 1m 34.907s (+0.226s), 9 laps
2nd Qualifying: 4th, 1m 34.258s (+0.474s), 8 laps
3rd Qualifying: 5th (grid: 3rd), 1m 35.690s (+0.509s), 7 laps
"Overall the qualifying went quite well and I'm happy to be starting third. But I'm a bit frustrated with my final lap in Q3 because I was struggling a little bit to get used to how the car felt with a heavier fuel load. That meant I didn't get 100% out of the car. In Q2, on a light fuel load, I made a few mistakes on my first run but then I got it absolutely right on the second and I was really pleased with my lap. In the end it's a good result for the whole team to have two cars in the top three. It will be a tricky race and Jarno and I will push each other very hard but we also have to think about the weather because that could be a factor."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"We are very pleased with this result even if the ultimate target is to be on pole position. Yesterday's sessions went so-so I would say, we were not completely happy with the car balance and the grip but obviously we have reacted well overnight and finally it has been a very good team result. Thanks to Bridgestone, the tyre situation here is quite easy to handle for qualifying and the race so we don't expect anything unusual in that sense, which is the opposite of Melbourne when the final laps were dictated by the tyres. So all in all it has been a good weekend so far and we are very optimistic for the race tomorrow."
BBC Watch: the BBC are doing well not to over-Hamilton the show, even in a week when he has featured strongly in the news. Even Eddie Jordan was a lot less annoying today. Maybe it helped that he was complimentary about Jarno a couple of times. Makes all the difference!! They could have had more emphasis on two Toyotas in the top 3 after the penalties for others though…..
3rd April 2009
Malaysian Grand Prix – Friday Practice
After all the shenanigans relating to the Hamilton/Trulli incident in Oz, it was a relief to get back on track. After waiting the usual 20 minutes or so into the session, first practice started in earnest and by the end, Rosberg was fastest for Williams, just like in Oz, followed by his team mate and then the Brawns. Jarno was 11th and Timo 10th. Kovalainen only managed 7 laps and was last for McLaren. Alonso has an ear infection…. not sure if that’s why he was P16. There were all sorts of spins and off track excursions, and Kimi had the most bizarre incident when his fire extinguisher went off in the cockpit. Top 6: Rosberg, Nakajima, Button, Barrichello, Massa, Raikkonen.
The extinguisher incident must have’fired’ Kimi up (I’ll get me coat) as he was fastest in the second session, with Massa 2nd. This time Kimi had trouble with KERS at the end of the session. The clouds grew ominous but they got through the session with only a few spots of rain. Fisichella bashed his Force Imdia against the barriers at turn 10. Jarno was 12th and Timo 14th. Top 6: Raikkonen, Massa, Vettel, Rosberg, Webber, Barrichello. (Barrichello will have a 5 place grid penalty for changing his gearbox.)
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing started its second race weekend of the season with two 90-minute free practice sessions for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit today. Typically hot conditions, with air temperature from 28-33°C and track temperature from 33-48°C, greeted Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. In first practice, both drivers used only the hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre while trying out different aerodynamic and mechanical set-ups to suit the long straight and flowing corners of Sepang. A productive session brought in useful information, despite a harmless spin from Timo midway through. More set-up work was scheduled for the second session, along with evaluating the soft compound tyre and both drivers had their first taste of the option rubber within the first 30 minutes. Dark clouds gathered and a few drops fell in the closing stages without affecting the session.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
1st Practice: 11th, 1m 36.982s (+0.722s), 26 laps
2nd Practice: 12th, 1m 36.516s (+0.809s), 34 laps
"Today went fine and it was a very standard Friday session for us. The track was a bit slippery this morning but it cleaned up quickly and by the second session it was fine. We went through our programme and tried a few things with the set-up and the tyres to improve the car. If you look at the timing sheets we don't look as competitive as I expected before coming here but I think the car is definitely there and it is just a matter of getting the right direction on set-up. The soft tyres seem to be pretty competitive and they were faster but the hard ones were a little bit too hard."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
1st Practice: 10th, 1m 36.980s (+0.720s), 27 laps
2nd Practice: 14th, 1m 36.639s (+0.932s), 29 laps
"It has been quite a tricky day for me today. The car this morning didn't feel quite right and I had some trouble with the stability, then at the beginning of second practice I was getting some oversteer and the car felt light. But we worked on some different set-ups and by the end of the day it was feeling better. We still have plenty of work to do before qualifying but we had a similar situation in Melbourne and we made a lot of progress so I am still optimistic."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a pretty normal Friday for us. We concentrated on tyres and trying to find a balance for the cars. We struggled a bit today getting a perfect balance and we still have some work to be done on both cars overnight to fine-tune the cars in order to get the best out of the package we have. In terms of the tyres, we seem to be in a different situation compared to Melbourne, much less at the limit and both tyres seem to be working reasonably well. The timing sheets are very close together so we're not worried about the final positions at the moment."
2nd April 2009
Jarno’s Podium Reinstated
Following a new investigation byt the stewards in Malaysia, Jarno’s third place podium in Australia has been re-instated. This must be a first for F1! The FIA decided to take another look at events from the end of the Melbourne race, even though Toyota withdrew their original appeal, feeling they were on a hiding to nothing. As a result, Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from the Australian GP after they ruled that Lewis and McLaren “acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.” In other words they lied and hoped to get away with it. But they forgot their radio transmissions…. Justice is done!
Go to http://www.autosport.com/features/article.php/id/2105 for Jarno’s view on the situation.
30th March 2009
Malaysian Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 5 April, 11am CET
Round: 2 of 17
Venue: Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
Distance: 5.543km (56 laps)
Lap record: 1min 34.223 (2004)
History: The Malaysian Grand Prix has been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1999, with Sepang hosting its 11th Grand Prix this year. Prior to that the Malaysian Grand Prix was an event for other racing series, running intermittently from 1962-1995.
Panasonic Toyota Racing is quickly in action again with the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang following just days after the season got under way in Australia. Toyota has proud memories of Sepang, which was the scene for its first Formula 1 podium back in 2005 when Jarno finished second. Last year Jarno again showed his mastery of Malaysia by finishing a superb fourth place while Timo suffered an unlucky retirement when another car caused an accident.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "I generally go really well in Malaysia and I have had some strong results there so I am approaching this race with great confidence. We achieved a great breakthrough in Malaysia in 2005 when I got the team's first podium in Formula 1 so I have good memories which will inspire me this weekend. Of course one of the big topics in Malaysia is the heat and humidity, which is quite a challenge for the drivers. It's not easy but that's why I train so much over the winter; I'm fit and it will be fine. Australia was a weekend of highs and lows but we showed that we are very competitive and I hope we can do that again this weekend."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "I don't have much experience of racing in Malaysia because I was taken out so early last year, but from the practice and qualifying I know the conditions are quite extreme. It's also pretty tough on the cars and tyres as well but I can adapt quickly to different conditions and different tracks so I'm ready for the challenge. I said before the season started that our car looked pretty good and the performance we showed in Australia proved that. It's great to have good points on the board already this season and my goal is obviously to add to that this weekend. We have every reason to be optimistic."
John Howett, President: "Australia was a very challenging weekend for the team but we responded extremely well to it and the performance was a credit to everyone. We showed extremely strong pace in the race and all our work has clearly delivered a competitive car which we expect to show again in Malaysia."
Moving Forward This year the TF109s will feature messages from local Toyota distributors to support their marketing efforts and to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, Toyota in Malaysia brings 'Toyota Moving Forward' to the race track. The logo can be seen on the rear wing end plates and the driver's head protection of the TF109.
30th March 2009
Toyota’s Appeal for 3rd Place
Jarno had been running third when the Safety Car came out late in the race, but he dropped behind the McLaren driver in an off-track moment.
"Trulli took back the place under the Safety Car," said McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh at the time of the investigation.
The stewards of the meeting agreed, promoting Hamilton to third, but Trulli insisted that he only passed the Briton because he had "suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. I thought he had a problem," the 34-year-old said, "so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."
The rules permit overtaking under the Safety Car in such circumstances.
The problem for Toyota is the inadmissibility of appeals for post-race 25-second penalties, because if the incident had occurred earlier in the race, the penalty would have taken the form of a drive-through, which is not subject to appeal.
Toyota snuck in its appeal through a loophole, by lodging it not with the stewards of the meeting, but with the local clerk of the course.
The team has two days to formalise its appeal in writing.
If it allows the procedure, the Court of Appeal would be faced with a difficult decision. Hamilton has been quoted by Speed TV as admitting that - after passing Trulli following the Toyota's off - he was then "told (by McLaren) to let him back past."
Hamilton presumably then pulled over and slowed, which would seem to corroborate Trulli's explanation that he only passed the Briton because "there was nothing else I could do."
Thanks to F1-Live.com for this summary
29th March 2009
Australian Grand Prix - Race
Started off from the pitlane, got much better, ended up rubbish. That was Jarno’s race in a nutshell. Both Toyotas started from the pitlane, in fact. Timo ended up 4th, when Jarno’s podium for 3rd place was disallowed when he was adjudged to have passed Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags three laps from the end of the race. Jarno thought Lucky Lewis was parking the car because he was going slowly and appearing to pull over. Did LL do it on purpose, smelling the podium? The race was won by pole sitter Jenson Button, followed by his team mate Barrichello. It’s debatable that the latter actually deserved it after hitting anti-stall at the start, and dropping back to the lower reaches of the top ten by the first corner. He blamed Kovalainen, for tapping the back of his car when he was crawling along, which led the Brawn to tangle with Webber’s Red Bull (causing a broken front wing after spinning into Kovalainen who had to retire) and giving Heidfeld’s BMW a puncture. Alonso and various others had to drive across the grass to avoid them and all that happened to Barrichello’s Brawn was a broken wing flap. He had another go at removing that on Raikkonen’s Ferrari later on. Button and Vettel began to drive away, with the Ferraris, who had used KERS and the soft tyres to boost their start, in 3rd and 5th. The advantage was lost when Nakajima crashed at turn 4 on lap 19, bringing out the first safety car of the day. After the restart, Piquet’s brakes let him down and he spun into retirement. Kubica closed in on the leaders (BMW thought he would win) but had a go at passing Vettel 3 laps from the end which ended with both in retirement, although Vettel protracted his at the behest of the team, as he was able to still drive the car with the wheel at a crazy angle: this led later to a grid penalty for the next race! I’m sure he thanked them, later. After these two had gone and the safety car returned, Jarno and Timo, who had driven a great race, moved into the top 5 with Hamilton. Ferrari’s race went to pot by the end, as Massa retired with some mechanical problem and Raikkonen drove into the wall in sympathy. Top 8 (revised, sob): Button, Barrichello, Hamilton, Glock, Alonso, Rosberg, Buemi, Bourdais.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing started the 2009 Formula 1 season with a trip to the podium and a double points finish in an exciting Australian Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock started from the pit lane but battling opening laps saw both fight their way up the order. Jarno started on the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres and made an early pit stop for mediums while Timo was initially on the mediums, preferring a longer first stint. With plenty of incident elsewhere on the track, the two Toyotas made their way into the top 10, passing several cars on the way before a breath-taking final few laps. Jarno's long final stint saw him move into the points when other cars made their final pit stops and he showed great pace to come within sight of the podium, which became a reality after a late accident for two rivals lifted him to third. Timo chose to finish the race on the super soft tyres and passed several cars in a short final stint to take fifth as the race finished behind the safety car. Race stewards subsequently handed Jarno a 25s penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions, but the team has filed an appeal within the proscribed time period.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
Grid: Started from the pit lane due to penalty
Provisional Race Classification: 12th (+26.604)*
Pit Stop Laps: 10, 33
"I can't say how disappointed I am to finish third but have the result questioned. When the safety car came out towards the end of the race Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do. I would still like to say thank you to the team who have made a huge effort. The fact we were able to fight for the podium despite starting from the pit lane is down to them."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-03)
Grid: Started from the pit lane due to penalty
Provisional Race Classification: 4th (+4.435s)*
Pit Stop Laps: 18, 50
*As issued at 20.30 local time
"I am happy to finish fourth but obviously it is really disappointing for Jarno. For us to be fighting at the front like that after we started from the pit lane really shows the strong performance we have. This is proof that our car has real pace. It was a good race for me and I have to say thanks to the team for their hard work in achieving this. The race was pretty exciting but I was stuck behind the Renault of Alonso for quite a while and it was difficult to overtake. My car felt good but I couldn't find a way past, however when I was in clear air I was able to go about a second faster so the performance is definitely there. I said before the weekend that we looked strong judging by our winter performance and it's great to show that in race conditions."
Tadashi Yamashina - Team Principal
"This is an extremely frustrating way to finish a challenging weekend. Already we were disappointed to be starting from the pit lane after we were informed yesterday about the problem with our rear wing. We responded to that in a fantastic way and we showed that our car has genuine performance. I would like to thank everyone who is part of our team, not just the guys at the track but also everyone at the factory, our partners and our fans. It's sad that this result has been questioned but we have filed an appeal to give us more time to study the data and the situation."
28th March 2009
Australian Grand Prix – Saturday Practice & Qualifying
Practice
It’s Rosberg at the top again in final practice, with Jarno in second place. Raikkonen has hydraulic problems and has to park the car after 5 laps. That is the main incident of several minor offs. Top 6: Rosberg, Trulli, Button, Massa, Nakajima, Barrichello.
Qualifying
Honda must be feeling a bit sick….seeing their ex-team, now Brawn GP, lock out the front row. Which just proves again, as if there is any doubt, that F1 is all about the car, not the driver. These two were languishing in the bottom 4 most of last year. Something else we learn…. KERS makes no difference in qualifying. For instance, BMW…Heidfeld (P11) has it, Kubica (P4) doesn’t. Unfortunately, the previously promising Toyota does not quite deliver today, Jarno blaming tyres and brakes. He leaves it late in the first two sessions, before pulling out all the stops at the last minute to go through. Jarno finishes 8th with Timo in 6th. We hoped for more. Knocked out after the first session are both Toro Rossos, both Force Indias and Renault’s Piquet. The McLarens scrape through Q3 but Hamilton has a problem with the drive train and can’t compete in Q2, leaving him 15th. Team mate Kovalainen DOES ‘compete’ but is only 14th and out of the Q1 shoot out. He is joined by Alonso, Nakajima and Heidfeld. Top 10: Button, Barrichello, Vettel, Kubica, Rosberg, Glock, Massa, Trulli, Raikkonen, Webber.
Panasonic Toyota Racing will have two cars in the top 10 when the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the 2009 Formula 1 season. On another clear, sunny day at Albert Park in Melbourne, with track temperatures of 29-33°C and air temperatures of 24-25°C, Timo Glock claimed sixth place on the grid with Jarno Trulli two places further back in eighth. With medium and super soft Bridgestone Potenza compounds on offer, both drivers used the softer option to progress through Q1 and Q2 as the whole grid was able to compare outright performance for the first time with the 2009-specification cars. Q3, with all cars carrying the amount of fuel they will start the race with, was predictably tense and the two Toyotas used the super soft tyres in the final seconds to set their fastest times.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
3rd Practice: 2nd, 1m 25.811s (+0.003s), 19 laps
1st Qualifying: 14th, 1m 26.194s (+1.188s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 7th, 1m 25.265s (+0.482s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 8th, 1m 27.127s (+0.925s), 7 laps
"That was a really hard qualifying for me. I expected a lot more from today so I am disappointed. Of course I will fight as hard as I can in the race but I don't know what to expect because the car felt different in qualifying compared to final practice. I don't know why but the tyres just would not warm up as expected and I was sliding around quite a bit. On top of that I had some issues with the brakes so it was really difficult for me."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-03)
3rd Practice: 8th, 1m 26.410s (+0.602s), 25 laps
1st Qualifying: 4th, 1m 25.499s (+0.493s), 7 laps
2nd Qualifying: 8th, 1m 25.281s (+0.498s), 6 laps
3rd Qualifying: 6th, 1m 26.975s (+0.773s), 6 laps
"We struggled a bit in second and third practice to find the right balance but we worked hard to find a solution and we did some set-up work which got the car into the right set-up window. I think with a bit more fine-tuning maybe we could have been further up the grid - we were only a tenth behind the top three so it could have been better but I am quite positive about the result. The car feels pretty good now and we are clearly not far away so let's see how it goes tomorrow in terms of strategy. I am pretty happy and reasonably confident."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"Overall the result is quite disappointing because we were hoping for more from qualifying today. We expected to be further up the grid but of course strategy plays a part in Q3 so we cannot forget that factor. It was easy to predict which tyres to use in qualifying because the super soft compound was clearly preferable but for the race it is a different matter. Tyre choice is a bigger challenge for the race and we have time now to look at the situation."
Unfortunately both Toyota cars were later excluded from qualifying because of what was deemed to be an infringement of the rules on flexible rear wings. So they will start 19th and 20th which wasn’t in the masterplan.
BBC Watch: Not a bad start, and they did cover all the drivers at one time or another in the first hour. Only one Lucky Lewis interview as well, which is fine considering he is WDC. Jenson is going to be this season’s fave though, isn’t he, if Brawn GP continue the way they’ve started? I couldn’t remember what the intro music “The Chain” sounded like, and now I know why….it’s boring. I preferred ITV’s! The opening sequence is not bad though. The coverage is anchored by Jake Humphrey, who may take a while to get used to, alongside DC who looks like he was born to it. They are joined by Eddie Jordan, who is already quite annoying and has declared a bias towards a driver…. it’s Rubens Barrichello “who has been with me for four years”, like he still is! I kind of miss Mark Blundell! No need to miss Martin Brundle of course and he is teamed with Jonathan Legard, who seems okay so far. They interviewed Richard Branson, who managed to swear on live tv, only two hours into the coverage, needing an apology from Jake! Let’s see how they get on tomorrow…..
27th March 2009
Australian Grand Prix - Friday Practice
The first practice of the new season and it’s Williams who come out on top! In the first session it’s Rosberg first and Nakajima second. There’s a token Ferrari in the top three, as Kimi Raikkonen makes an appearance. Timo is 8th and Jarno 12th. They’ve obviously done too much testing as no one bothers with the first 30 minutes. Odd incidents are a puncture for Nakajima and an early stop for Vettel with a hydraulic problem after only 4 laps. Top 6: Rosberg, Nakajima, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Kovalianen, Button.
After the break, the ‘diffuser three’ teams take over the top 3 places. Rosberg is again top of the tree, followed by the Barrichello’s Brawn and Jarno’s Toyota. Timo is 6th. There is a not a Ferrari or a McLaren in the top 9, Massa just scraping into the top 10. The McLarens languish in P17 and 18. Top 6: Rosberg, Barrichello, Trulli, Webber, Button, Glock.
PRESS RELEASE
Panasonic Toyota Racing got the 2009 Formula 1 season under way on a warm and sunny afternoon at Albert Park in Melbourne with free practice for the Australian Grand Prix today. With air temperatures of 18-19°C and track temperatures of 25-33°C, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock put the TF109 to the test during two 90-minute practice sessions. Jarno was the first Toyota driver to hit the track this season, exiting the pits in the first session shortly before Timo and the pair went on to complete a largely trouble-free session of set-up evaluation. For the second session both drivers had the chance to try out the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres in addition to the medium compound experienced earlier in the day, while continuing their mechanical and aerodynamic set-up work. They put in a busy stint and both ended the day in the top six.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-04)
1st Practice: 12th, 1m 28.142s (+1.455s), 21 laps
2nd Practice: 3rd, 1m 26.350s (+0.297s), 42 laps
"It was a tough day because we covered quite a few laps and had a lot of things to work on. In general we have worked really hard to understand the tyres and find the right set-up, which is not easy. I am still not completely happy with the car balance and, even though when you look at the timing sheets things look pretty good for us, the car isn't completely comfortable to drive. Now we have to work on improving the set-up and the balance for tomorrow when it is most important. Anyway, I have to say it's great to be back at a Grand Prix because I love being behind the wheel with the atmosphere and excitement of a race weekend; this is what I live for."
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-03)
1st Practice: 8th, 1m 27.710s (+1.023s), 24 laps
2nd Practice: 6th, 1m 26.443s (+0.390s), 42 laps
"In the end I am satisfied with our day but I have to say the first session went better than the second session for me. In the first session I had a good feeling from the car and things were running well but then later on I suddenly had a few problems because the car was a bit nervous and didn't feel as stable on the long runs. The behaviour of the car seemed to change between the sessions so we have to look at the data to understand why that happened. So we still have some work to do but that is the purpose of practice and we will work hard on the car set-up before qualifying tomorrow."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"It was a reasonable day for us. The track evolution was different compared to previous years but that was probably connected to the later start for practice. As usual it was dirty to begin with so that affected the grip and then in the second session it seemed the track began to drop off at one stage. The biggest issue we have to follow up is the tyres because the behaviour is not quite as we expected, but apart from that it was a pretty smooth day with both cars. We didn't have any significant issues so we completed quite a lot of laps and got through our full programme of looking at set-up and studying the tyres. It is only Friday so it's not easy to judge relative performance but we are looking quite competitive, even though we will focus on improving our long-run performance before the race."
26th March 2009
Panasonic Toyota Racing kicks off 2009 season in Australia
Panasonic Toyota Racing got its 2009 season off to an early start with a range of off-track activities for drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock in Australia.
As the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix is traditionally a busy start and 2009 was no different with a series of activities before the cars even turned a wheel in anger at Albert Park.
Timo was the first Panasonic Toyota Racing driver to arrive in Australia so he was in action first, on Monday at the Calder Park raceway near Melbourne, trying out a driving style he will not be using when he gets behind the wheel of the TF109.
He joined the Toyota V6 HiLux Heroes stunt driving team and was shown how to drive the HiLux on two wheels by world record holder Lawrence 'Legend' Ryan. Timo quickly got to grips with the challenge and on his final run managed to keep the HiLux on two wheels for an impressive 60 metres.
He then moved on to formation driving and doughnuts, clearly enjoying the experience. "It was a lot of fun but I think it would be a little hard to drive a Formula 1 car on two wheels!" he said.
While team-mate Jarno met Australian Toyota fleet customers on Tuesday, Timo was again in entertaining form, this time in front of fans at Melbourne's iconic Federation Square.
To add to the Formula 1 buzz in the city, Timo gave his thoughts on the new season and signed autographs for the enthusiastic locals. Jarno added to the buzz among the local media with exclusive events, including one focused on his Podere Castorani wines.
There was more to come on Wednesday, when Timo showed off the fitness required to be a Formula 1 driver by training on St Kilda beach and then in a city centre gym.
By Wednesday afternoon both drivers were at the track to meet and chat with children from the Camp Quality charity as part of a joint effort with the team's official supplier RE/MAX. Camp Quality provides support for children with cancer and the drivers chatted and signed autographs before offering a rare glimpse into a Formula 1 pit.
In the evening Timo brushed up on his poker skills with a celebrity tournament - for fun, not money - at the Crown Towers casino, facing fellow Formula 1 drivers Robert Kubica and Giancarlo Fisichella as well as Australian cricket legend Shane Warne and former poker world champion Joe Hachem.
24th March 2009
Australian Grand Prix - Preview
Date: Sunday, 29 March, 8am CET
Round: 1 of 17
Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne
Distance: 5.303km (58 laps)
Lap record: 1min 24.125 (2004)
History: The Formula 1 World Championship first visited Australia in 1985 for a race on a street track in Adelaide, which hosted the event until 1996 when Melbourne took over. This year will be the 25th consecutive Australian Grand Prix and the 14th in Melbourne.
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads Down Under this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix on the street circuit at Albert Park; the first round of the 2009 Formula 1 season. The new TF109 car has completed 21 test days and around 10,000km kilometres since its first official test on 19 January, including a four-day test with the Australian Grand Prix aerodynamic package in Barcelona earlier this month. These tests produced very promising results so the team makes the 16,000km journey from Germany to Australia full of optimism. Jarno Trulli made his Formula 1 debut at Albert Park in 1997 while Timo Glock's first race with Toyota was in Melbourne last year, the fifth Grand Prix of his career.
In 2008 neither Jarno nor Timo finished the Australian Grand Prix so a significant improvement is expected this time around.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): "Melbourne is a great place to visit and the Australian Grand Prix is always good fun. As a Formula 1 driver you really want to race so I am pleased the season is starting and we can get on with the competition. I am totally fired up for this season and I am feeling very positive about our chances. The TF109 is the best Toyota I have driven in pre-season testing; it feels stable and gives the driver confidence but more importantly it seems to be pretty quick, even though it's hard to make too many judgements based on testing. We made a big step last year, proving we can fight for podiums and finish regularly in the top six so I am hoping for another step forward this year. We have more experience now and the team has worked really hard for a long time on the TF109 - we are ready for the season and I am raring to go."
Timo Glock (Car 10): "It's very exciting to be going to the first race this year because the big changes to the technical regulations for 2009 give Toyota a good opportunity to fight at the front. It's really hard to predict because you don't know what other teams are working on in testing but I know our programme and the results we have seen are very encouraging. Testing has gone really well and I have a good feeling for the new car. It's a different emotion to be starting my second year with Toyota compared to 2008 because now I am much more familiar with the team and I feel I can really start the season strongly. Last year it took a few races to find the right direction for me in terms of set-up but I don't expect that to be a problem this season. Australia is anyway one of my favourite places to visit so I can't wait to get to Melbourne and get the season started."
John Howett, President: "This is a big season for our team and we have set ourselves high targets. We exist to win so that is clearly the aim this season and we have every reason to be optimistic after our extremely positive testing results. This is our eighth season in Formula 1 and we have learnt a lot in that time; we are leaner, more experienced and better equipped to succeed. Our drivers are a great asset to us this season; Jarno has huge experience and everyone knows he is tremendously fast while Timo is an explosive young driver who showed his great potential last year. So 2009 is a big opportunity for our team and we are determined to make the most of it. We have been on the podium in the past in Australia and I would like to see us there again this weekend."
Oh What a Feeling! This year the TF109s will feature slogans from local Toyota distributors to support their marketing efforts and to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. This weekend, Toyota in Australia brings 'Oh What a Feeling!' to the race track. The logo can be seen on the rear wing end plates and the driver's head protection of the TF109.