Brazilian Grand Prix – Race Round-Up
BRAZIL RUSH
Panasonic Toyota Racing is celebrating its first points finish
for six races after Jarno Trulli took 8th place in today’s
action-packed Brazilian Grand Prix. On a punishingly hot day
in Sao Paulo, air temperatures were in the mid-thirties and
the track topped 60° Celsius. Jarno made a solid start
from 8th position and was up as high as 4th midway through
the race on his three-stop strategy. He then battled hard
all the way to a valuable point for the team, which secured
6th place in the constructors’ championship as a result.
Ralf Schumacher had more to do, starting from 15th and clashing
with another car at the first corner. He nonetheless pushed
hard on a two-stop strategy on his way to 11th place. As it
is his last race for Toyota, Ralf was this morning presented
with a farewell gift as a sign of appreciation for all his
hard work over the last three years. The race team will now
have a well-earned break following a long season of hard work.
Toyota is next scheduled to return to the track at the first
winter test at Barcelona on November 13 as it begins preparations
for the 2008 F1 season.
Jarno Trulli (Car 12, Chassis TF107/03)
Race Classification 8th (+1 lap) Tyres Used: Soft Soft Soft
Supersoft
Qualifying Classification 8th Time: 1m 13.195s (+1.264s in
Q3) Grid: 8th
“I am happy because we finished the season with our
first finish in the points for a long time. I have been trying
hard for many races without luck and finally today things
went more smoothly. We all had a battle with the tyres today.
We took the gamble to go for a three-stop strategy and in
the end 8th position was quite a good result. It is also good
for the motivation of the team as we head into the winter.
I would like to thank everyone because it has been a hard
season but we never gave up. That is the most important thing
because we have to look ahead to the future, to improve the
car and the performance. I believe we have the potential and
next year I think we can bounce back up the grid. This was
my last race with Ralf as a team-mate. We’ve had a fair
and competitive battle over three years and we’ve worked
together to develop the team. Now I wish him all the best
for the future.”
Ralf Schumacher (Car 11, Chassis TF107/05)
Race Classification 11th (+1 lap) Tyres Used: Soft Soft Supersoft
Qualifying Classification 15th Time: 1m 13.315s (+1.154s
in Q2) Grid: 15th
“It was a very hot day today but that wasn’t
a problem and the car was good to drive. In the beginning
it was a bit tough but after that it was fine. At the start
of the race I was in a Toro Rosso sandwich and I lost a bit
of ground. But it was a relatively good race from there. It
is my last race for Toyota and for sure it is a pity to be
leaving after three years. This has been a difficult season
in terms of results but we tried our best and it simply didn’t
work out. The team has worked really hard and we have made
a lot of changes to the car during the year. It has been a
pleasure to work with the whole team, both at the factory
and at the races and tests. I have enjoyed my time here and
I am looking forward to seeing some of the guys for a drink
in the future.”
Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal
“We scored a point at the last race so we are very
happy with that. Jarno did a good job and this type of race
is what we have been aiming for. It is important to keep the
grid position on the first lap. If we can do that, then we
can do this kind of race. Unfortunately Ralf did not have
such a good first lap but he too did his best and he could
have made the top ten. He lost some aero parts at the first
corner and he had a problem with a damaged wheelnut at his
first pit stop which cost him a position. I would like to
say thank you very much to Ralf for the last three years.
His contribution to the team has been huge and I wish him
all the best for the future. This was also the last race weekend
for third driver Franck Montagny but he will continue to test
for us for the rest of 2007. Of course we will use this return
to the points as a springboard and we will do our best to
develop the best possible car for next season.”
|
