Timo Glock to race for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008
Toyota Motorsport GmbH can today confirm that Timo Glock
will race for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008.
Timo, the reigning GP2 Series champion, has signed a multi-year
contract and the team hopes an agreement can be reached with
BMW Sauber to allow him to test at Jerez on December 4-6.
Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina said: “It
is with great pleasure that we confirm Timo Glock will race
for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008. I am convinced Timo has
the potential to help this team move forward and achieve its
aims.
“Timo has great experience of motorsport in several
different categories and he reinforced his reputation by winning
the highly competitive GP2 Series, which we have already seen
is fantastic preparation for Formula 1. He has demonstrated
a fighting spirit and good race craft in GP2 so we believe
he is the right man for the job.”
Timo said: “It’s a great feeling to be a Formula
1 race driver again and I am really looking forward to this
new challenge. I have worked hard over the past few years
to get this opportunity and I must say I am grateful to Panasonic
Toyota Racing for having faith in me.
“From what I have seen of the team at the track I am
confident we will be able to work well together to move forward.
Even though I have not raced in Formula 1 since 2004, I have
tested quite regularly so I expect it will take very little
time for me to get back in the groove.
“I have been lucky enough to race and succeed in several
different championships in my career but my goal has always
been to become a full-time Formula 1 race driver. I believe
this experience has made me stronger as a driver and as a
person.
“Of course, to return to Formula 1 racing as GP2 Series
champion is a real honour and we’ve all seen how well
Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have performed as champions
so that is very encouraging. I hope I can also make a strong
impression next season.
“Now I have achieved my goal of returning to Formula
1, my next target is to work towards making 2008 a successful
season for myself and Panasonic Toyota Racing.”
The 25-year-old German is, like his new team, relatively
young but has a wealth of different experience behind him
since taking his first steps into the world of motorsport
as a 15-year-old in karts.
After just two years of kart racing he stepped up to single-seaters
and enjoyed an impressive rise through the ranks to Formula
1, via ADAC Formula BMW and Formula 3. At just 22 he was a
Grand Prix racer with an unexpected Jordan debut in Canada
in 2004, where he joined an exclusive list of drivers to score
points in their first race, thanks to his seventh place.
Three more races followed at the end of the season before
a switch to the United States for 2005, where he marked himself
out as a rising star by taking Rookie of the Year honours,
with a best finish of second, coincidentally also in Montreal.
However, the lure of Formula 1 was too great and he returned
to prove his credentials in GP2. That looked a wise move this
year when he came out on top of a tough title battle and he
follows previous champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
into a full-time Formula 1 race drive.
Timo Glock Profile
Nationality: German
Born: 18 March 1982 – Lindenfels, Germany
Marital status: Single
Height: 1.69m
Weight: 64kg
Hobbies: Karting, fitness
GP debut Canada 2004
GPs started 4
Wins 0
Pole positions 0
Points 2
Best championship result 19th (2004)
1998: Began his motorsport career aged 15, racing in karts.
2000: ADAC Formula BMW Junior Cup: 1st
2001: ADAC Formula BMW: 1st
2002: German Formula 3 Championship: 3rd (Rookie of the Year)
2003: Formula 3 Euro Series: 5th (3 wins)
2004: Formula 1 – Jordan: Test driver/race driver
2005: Champ Car World Series: 8th (Rookie of the Year)
2006: GP2 Series: 4th (2 wins)
2007: GP2 Series: 1st (5 wins)
Formula 1 – BMW Sauber: Test driver
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