Australian Grand Prix – Preview
BOURNE TO RUN
Finally the wait is over. After five months when testing
provided the only action for Formula 1 fans, the 2007 season
is ready to roll and Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to Albert
Park in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend,
the first of 17 races this year. Toyota is celebrating 50
years in motorsport in 2007 and both Ralf Schumacher and Jarno
Trulli are celebrating 10 years since they made their Formula
1 debuts in Melbourne. The team is looking to begin this landmark
year with a result to be proud of on the streets of Albert
Park. Ralf and Jarno have had a busy winter testing programme
with the new TF107 and two days of hard work in Jerez last
week finally put the finishing touches to their preparations.
After such a long break from racing, both drivers are eager
to get their competitive juices flowing again. Ralf was on
the podium in Melbourne 12 months ago and the team are motivated
to score another positive result this time around.
Ralf Schumacher (Car 11): “Melbourne
is a great place to be, I really like the city and it is one
of my favourites trips of the year. As well as the city, the
track is one of the most beautiful streets circuits in the
world and I really enjoy driving at Albert Park. Because it
is a street circuit, the surface of the track tends to be
dirty and that means it is quite low on grip, especially early
in the weekend. We have done a lot of work in testing with
the new car and I think we have made progress. My first impressions
of the car were good and even though testing was difficult
sometimes, I hope our car will suit the track and we will
have a nice result this weekend.”
Jarno Trulli (Car 12): “Melbourne
is a great venue for a Grand Prix and the fans always make
sure there is a unique atmosphere. Australia is a special
place for me because I made my Grand Prix debut there in 1997.
It is great to be going back there for the first race of the
season. We have pushed hard over the winter with our testing
programme. We had some issues to work on but I am looking
forward to this weekend with confidence. A lot of work has
been done on the new car and we expect it to be more competitive
and more reliable. There are always big question marks as
we prepare for the start of a new season because it is so
hard to judge things from winter testing, but we have the
motivation to succeed and I am optimistic.”
Pascal Vasselon – Senior General Manager Chassis:
“The opening race of the season is always interesting
as it is the first chance we have to see each teams’
true performance. Traditionally at Albert Park we would expect
understeer, low grip and tyre graining but we have seen in
testing that the 2007 tyres do not tend to grain, so we start
with more of a clean sheet when it comes to set-up. We have
been through a learning process withour car and tyre package,andhave
developed various different set-up options which we will use
during the season. We have made good use of our winter testing
and we are looking forward to the season with enthusiasm.”
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