One Era Ends, Another Begins
Panasonic Toyota Racing waved au revoir to Olivier Panis
last year but the French Tricolor will still be flying on
the car thanks to the arrival of Franck Montagny, who is on
track in the new TF107 for the first time at Valencia tomorrow.
Panis, the last Frenchman to win a Grand Prix, handed over
the baton to the next generation of French driver at Panasonic
Toyota Racing when Montagny officially began his new role
as the team’s third driver on 1 January.
Panasonic Toyota Racing test driver Panis has retired from
Formula 1 to concentrate on fresh challenges and his departure
gave Montagny the chance to join as third driver, continuing
the team’s long-running French connection.
In 2001, the team’s first Formula 1 car was unveiled
to the world in France at the Paul Ricard circuit - a direct
result of the successful GT-One project to take on the legendary
Le Mans 24 Hours. The team’s first season of Grand Prix
racing in 2002 saw Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin help with testing
duties while in the very next year Panis was in the race seat
of the TF103 to begin his long spell with Toyota.
With his extensive Formula 1 testing experience, Montagny
has been chosen as the man to take over and join race drivers
Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, extending Toyota’s
run of French drivers and continuing its reputation as a United
Nations of Formula 1.
Flying Frenchmen of different generations met up at Jerez
on the afternoon of 13 December, for Toyota’s final
test of the year and Panis’ last in Formula 1. Even
though he was yet to officially begin life as a Toyota driver,
Montagny was also in action at Jerez, taking the opportunity
of post-season testing to become familiar with the team before
his contract began.
The 29-year-old Montagny is following in the footsteps of
one of the most successful French drivers of his generation,
a man he looked up to on his own path to the top and a man
who kept the French flag flying in Formula 1.
The careers of both men have followed similar lines from
the start, albeit several years apart. Both graduated from
French Formula Renault before recording identical championship
results in their two years of French Formula Three –
fourth and then second places - but their fortunes in International
Formula 3000 differed radically.
For Montagny, two difficult years convinced him to make a
successful switch to the World Series by Nissan while Panis
was crowned 1993 F3000 champion as he blazed a trail to Formula
1, and eventually to that meeting with his fellow Frenchman
on a winter’s day in Spain.
“It is quite strange for me to be coming into Toyota
as Olivier is leaving because I remember watching Olivier
race in Formula 1 when I was still in junior categories a
long time ago,” Montagny says. “When I think about
that it seems a bit weird to be, in a sense, taking over from
him at Toyota but I am pleased to take this job for sure.
I always enjoyed watching him race in Formula 1 and I know
he did a great job for Toyota.”
Panis has delivered many memorable moments but for Montagny,
one memory really stands out from his countryman’s 12
years and 158 races in Formula 1.
“I remember watching Olivier racing and following the
good times and the bad times. His crash in Canada when he
broke his legs was obviously a very bad moment but I prefer
to think of his win at Monaco which was very special,”
he adds, referring to Panis’ stunning drive to win a
wet Monaco Grand Prix for Ligier in 1996. “To see him
driving around the slowing down lap at Monaco waving the French
flag was really a great moment.”
The two share not only a common language and nationality,
but also a common bond as Montagny reveals: “I have
always got on well with Olivier. You could say we are friends
without seeing a lot of each other. I like him and whenever
we see each other it is very friendly. That’s not just
because we are both French drivers, somehow we seem to get
on very well whenever we speak together.”
Panis arrived at Jerez in time to watch Montagny’s
progress behind the wheel of the TF106B before getting behind
the wheel himself a day later with a brief testing stint to
bring the curtain down on his Formula 1 career.
After four years with Panasonic Toyota Racing, 40-year-old
Panis remains in the Toyota family as a result of his Trophee
Andros ice racing career and he is sure Montagny will also
thrive as a Toyota driver. Not only that, he has tipped Montagny
to follow in his own footsteps and make a valuable contribution
to the team’s development.
“I have watched Franck racing and he is a very fast
driver and I also saw him test for Toyota at Silverstone and
Jerez last year and I was impressed,” Panis recalls.
“I think it is a good move for him to join Toyota because
it is a big team and has a lot of potential.
“I think he will work well with the team. They are
all very professional and hard working and from what I have
seen Franck is the same. He is a nice guy and we always get
on well together whenever we see each other.
“It is good that a Frenchman is coming into the team,
I am pleased about that. It has been hard for French drivers
in Formula 1 in recent years but Franck has a lot of experience
now of testing in Formula 1 and I am sure he will do a very
good job for Toyota.”
Montagny’s first test as the official Panasonic Toyota
Racing third driver begins tomorrow in Valencia, Spain where
he will be joined by Trulli for the start of the team’s
pre-season testing programme.
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